Letters for Inuyasha
by CrispyBread
Summary: After Naraku was defeated, the Bone Eaters well closed and Inuyasha and Kagome were separated for three years. What happens during those painful years? How do they get on without each other? For Kagome, it's in the form of writing letters to Inuyasha...
1. Prologue

**I do not own Inuyasha...but if i did there would be A LOT of changes XD**

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Prologue**

"Kagome!" Her mother brother and grandfather exclaimed when they saw her emerging from the bone-eater's well with Inuyasha. Kagome rushed out and hugged them.

"Kagome, we were so worried about you!" Her grandfather said. Tears poured down her cheeks as she recalled what had happened. After they had defeated Naraku, she got sucked into a deep void of blackness created by Naraku's last wish he made on the Shikon no Tama. The well had closed up and she was in the darkness for three whole days. Inuyasha had come to save her and the wish she made on the jewel brought her back home. Now she turned to Inuyasha with tears of gratitude and love in her eyes.

"Inuyasha saved me. Inuyasha, thank…"Kagome began but was cut off when Inuyasha was surrounded by a bright light. He was sucked back into the well in a blink of an eye.

"Inuyasha!? Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted into the well. Kagome jumped down the well. She clawed at the ground in utter desperation.

"Why? Why is the well not connecting? Why can't I reach Inuyasha?!" She screamed in her mind as tears fell from her eyes to the ground.

Since then, the well no longer connected.

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Mirouku looked up at the night sky. He walked out of the hut and went to look for Inuyasha. It was the night of the new moon.

He found him on the outskirts of the village in his favorite tree. He tried not to make any noise as he approached the bottom of the tree. The bells of his staff still jingled but Inuyasha seemed too caught up with what he was doing to notice him anyway. When he looked closer, Mirouku saw that Inuyasha was staring at something. He soon recognized it as the locket Kagome had given such a long time ago. Inuyasha was staring at it with unblinking eyes. Through the dim light of the night Mirouku could still see that his face was filled with emotion. He swore that he saw a single tear roll down his cheek.

Mirouku knew that when Inuyasha was human he was much more vulnerable both physically and emotionally. He couldn't bear to think how painful it was for Inuyasha when the well refused to connect months ago. Since then, Inuyasha refused to talk about Kagome but everyone could tell that inside he was hurting more and more every day. Mirouku sighed and turned. They all missed Kagome but it was Inuyasha that was affected the most. It has been almost a year since they defeated Naraku and the well stopped connecting. Ever since then, things had never been the same.

Mirouku walked back to the village, not even knowing how to comprehend how Inuyasha felt.

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**Ok so thats the prologue. I noe its a bit sad but those who read chapter 558 of Inuyasha should noe what happens in the end :P Pls R&R**


	2. The First Letter

**Once again, I don own Inuyasha.** ;P

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Chapter 1

Kagome looked blankly at the sums of her math book. Her mind started to swirl and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She put down her pen and closed the book. She could not go on like this. Her finals were in a few days. How could she waste time thinking about irrelevant things? Deep inside she was heartbroken. Inuyasha was gone forever. She could never see him again. The words rang inside her head over and over again.

It was two months since the well had closed up. Inuyasha had brought her back to her time then the well had swallowed him up and closed. She knew that the well had closed up because her duty in the Feudal Era was done. She had destroyed the sacred jewel and defeated Naraku. No matter how much she longed for Inuyasha, or how many times she went into the well and clawed at the ground, it was no use. The hard fact was that the well no longer connected, she was stuck in her time forever. Tears slid down her cheeks and into her mouth. Her tears were salty.

She wondered if Inuyasha was thinking of her, missing her. She wished with all her heart she could tell him how she felt about him. She hated herself for not telling him those three words when she had the chance. She glanced up from her tears and saw a blank piece of paper on her table. She took her pen and started writing:

Dear Inuyasha,

How are you? It's been two months since we last saw each other. How are Sango, Mirouku and Shippo? Life over in the village must be really peaceful now that Naraku's gone. What have you been doing Inuyasha? I hope you are not wasting away your time now that you have no arch enemy or jewel shards to find.

Life in school has been really hard since the final year exams are just around the corner. The teachers have been giving us mountains of homework and its boring me to death. I almost wish that you could come and bug me again like you used to. Well at least now I can concentrate. But without you I realized that I can't really study at all. I keep thinking about you, Inuyasha. Every time I try to solve a math problem, your face keeps appearing in my head. When I want to study English grammar, your familiar impatient words ring in my ears.

I guess all I want is to tell you that I really miss you. I will keep on waiting for the day when we can see each other again. Until then, I will keep thinking of you. I love you, Inuyasha.

Kagome

She put her pen down. She felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She got up, crept out of her room, and down the stairs. She opened the back door quietly and stepped into the cold night air. She could hear dogs barking in the distance. With the letter clutched in her hand, she walked over to the well in the shed. She looked at the paper then dropped into the well. She watched as it fluttered down and landed in the bottom of the well. She stared at it for a few moments until she was satisfied. She climbed the stairs and shut the shed door behind her.

She felt the wind blow in her face. She breathed in deeply. She didn't know how it was going to reach Inuyasha or why she did it, she just felt that she had to do it.

In school the next day, she was in Biology class. She was staring out the window and thinking about the old days when Inuyasha would cross over to her world and constantly bug her to go back and look for shards. She looked back to the front of the class where the teacher had drawn a diagram of a frog's intestines. She remembered there was one time when he had appeared outside of her classroom window and one of her classmates almost saw him. She turned towards the window, half-expecting Inuyasha to be on the window sill knocking on the glass. Unfortunately, she only saw a blank space where he was supposed to be.

She smiled and scolded herself. Inuyasha wasn't here. She of all people should know that. She had to pay close attention in class of she wanted to pass at all in her exams.

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**Okay that was it. I noe its short but im not accustomed to writing looong chapters and belive me, it looks way longer on document word. :P**


	3. Inuyasha and Kagome's Feelings

**Okay folks heres the second chapter. Tomorrows my exam but i still managed to finish it so yall better appreciate it and review if not i wont update :D **

**I don own Inuyasha :'(  
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Chapter 2

Inuyasha breathed in the cool, night wind. He was on his own now. Mirouku and Sango had a baby or two coming along and he knew that he would have to fend for himself for a while. Not that he minded anyway. He had lived most of his life on his own. But now, he felt more lonely being on his own than he ever did before. Kagome had shown him that he could make friends and that the world wasn't as dark as he thought it was. Oh Kagome…

He stared up at the black night sky that was dotted with twinkling stars. He wondered where Kagome was, what she was doing. Was she thinking of him? Had she forgotten him already? He knew he could not see her again and ask her, but it was worth it if he knew she was safe. He leaned back against the well. On nights like this, he spent his time at the well. He felt calmer there, like there was still a link between him and Kagome. He liked to think that Kagome was on the other side of the well, doing the exact thing. Sometimes, when he was sure that no one was around, he liked to speak his thoughts aloud, contenting himself that Kagome could hear him. He felt reassured although some small part of him that Kagome was not coming back ever again. At least she was safe.

Only if she knew how much he missed her, how much he wanted to say those three words and stroke her silky hair. A small smile crept up his lips as he remembered that one time that the two of them shared a kiss. It was such a long time ago. But secretly he knew he would treasure that moment forever. He felt the tiny weight of the locket she had given. It was his most treasured possession. Even his Tetsaiga came in second. He took it out and opened it. In his eyes, Kagome's face was so beautiful although it cringed up in irritation. It was the only material picture he had of her. Often, he would take it out and stare at it for hours on end, refreshing his memory of the times they had together. How he longed for her voice to tell him to 'sit'. He almost missed hitting the ground face-first. Almost. He remembered the times when her soft, beautiful eyes had met his and her soft hands had caressed his. He could almost smell her sweet scent lingering in the air.

He fell asleep thinking of her. In his dreams, he pictured her smiling at him. When he cried out to her, she started running. He tried to catch up to her but before he knew it, she had faded away. That was when he realized that his hands were drenched in her blood. He awoke with a start, panting and sweat tricking down his back. He steadied his breaths and looked around. It was still dark but he knew dawn was approaching. His heart was still pumping at a furious rate. He kept convincing himself that Kagome was safe. But he just couldn't get the image of her blood on his hands. It had happened once but it was never going to happen again.

Kagome was safe. Wasn't she?

******

For once, Kagome was not studying. Instead, she was in the mall hanging out with her friends. They were at a boutique looking and trying on clothes. Kagome's body was there, but her mind was somewhere else altogether. She was wondering what Inuyasha was doing, where he was. Was he thinking of her? She was snapped out of her thoughts as Eri waved a blouse in front of her face.

"Hello? Earth to Kagome. How many times do I have to ask you? Does this blouse look good on me?" Eri demanded. Kagome sometimes found her friends to be extremely annoying. At that moment, she couldn't care less about Eri's blouse. She ground her teeth in irritation and forced a smile and said, "It looks great Eri. It totally suits you." Eri grinned and went to the cashier to pay for the blouse.

Yuka prodded her and said, "Hey Kagome, you're spacing out more and more often. What's up? Don't tell me it's that delinquent boyfriend of yours." Kagome nodded miserably.

"I knew it! What did he do to you now? He just can't leave you alone isn't it?" Yuka said.

"Actually, it's kind of the opposite. I can't see him anymore."

"What? Why?"

"It's kind of complicated. You wouldn't understand. It's just that…never mind." Kagome sighed, trying to hold back tears.

The rest of the shopping trip past in a blur. When Kagome got home, she went straight up to her room and grabbed a pen and paper. She started writing.

Dear Inuyasha,

How are you? Today I just realized how much I missed you. I was at the mall today. You know how much I love shopping right? But today I just couldn't focus on having fun. I kept thinking of you. My friends kept saying I was spacing out. The other day, I recalled how you appeared outside my classroom window and I had to stop my classmates from seeing you by telling you to sit. How I wish you could do that again.

If I could just see you again, I promise I'll never say that word ever again. I'll make you Ramen every single day. I'll train to be a better miko so that you don't have to protect me all the time. I'll stay with for the rest of your life so that you don't have to be lonely ever again. I'll make sure that you smile every single day. I'll make sure that the world is brighter. Just for you. I know that I will never be the same to you as Kikyo did but all I want is to make you happy. I want to see your beautiful smile and those twinkling eyes. I want to hold your hands and tell you how grateful I am of you for protecting me, for giving me all I ever wanted. If I could just see you again Inuyasha.

Inuyasha, do you remember all the times when we quarreled over those little things? They seem so petty now. Life in my time here is so boring without Mirouku, Sango, Shippo, and most of all you. Do you think of me? I just want you to know that there will not be a single day in my life when I will not think of you. You will always be in my heart. Now and forever. I love you, Inuyasha.

Kagome

She walked down the stairs, out of her house and to the well again. She opened the door to the shed of the well and climbed down the stairs. She looked into the well and realized with a start that the first letter she had written was gone. Maybe it had gotten blown away, or carried off by some small animal. However, she chose to believe it had somehow crossed over and was on the other side. She carefully let the letter she had in her hand flutter down to the bottom of the well. She wished with all her heart that somehow, it would reach Inuyasha.

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**Okay so that was it! Better review if not I really wont update. Im not joking. I wont be writing again until next week cos of exams so u have then to review!! :P** **Hope u enjoyed the chappy!!**


	4. The New Girl Spells Trouble?

**Chrissy2884 here!**

**Okay folks heres the third chappy! I just finished my exams so wish me good luck that I'll good marks if not my computer will get confiscated and I won't be able to write more :(**

**Anyways please give some advice and inspiration:D Only 2 eppys of Inuyasha kanketsu-hen are up so I need plenty of ideas. (Although I ve already read the whole manga series)  
**

**Pleeeaaaase review on this chapter! I'm begging you! :P**

**I don't own Inuyasha....so sad

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Chapter 3

Kagome woke up feeling good, better than she had in a long time. She stretched herself and got up from bed. She pulled back the curtains and the early morning light poured into her bedroom. She opened her window and breathed in the fresh morning air. The sweet sound of the birds filled her ears and made her feel even happier. She got dressed and went down for breakfast.

"Good morning Kagome. I haven't seen you this happy for a long time." Her mother said.

"Good morning mom. I just feel…different."

"Well, at least you're feeling better now."

"Good morning Kagome!" Sota said cheerfully. She greeted her brother and grandfather and they all sat around the table for breakfast. As far as Kagome was concerned, it was her first good meal in a long time. She had been so upset for all those weeks that when she ate her food, it all tasted bland and tasteless. She had only been thinking of Inuyasha. Inuyasha…

She set down her empty bowl and sighed. Why had that thought had to come when she was enjoying her meal? She stacked up her bowls and plates and put them in the sink. She then excused herself, grabbed her school bag and headed out the door. She walked briskly, which turned into a run. She ran all the way to school and when she got there, she was so early that almost no one was there yet. She stopped and caught her breath. She proceeded to her classroom and sat down. It was a good half hour before class officially started. The teacher, Mr. Takusho, walked into the classroom with an unfamiliar girl in tow. She had jet black and piercing blue eyes. A bit of hair on her right was tied up in a blue ribbon and her nail were painted glossy blue.

"Okay class. I would like to introduce you to our new transfer student. This is Shirai Yuno. She will be joining your class from today onwards." He said.

"Hello everybody! I look forward to having a great semester with you all!" She said enthusiastically, bowing. She went to take a seat at the extreme side of the class- the only one that was empty. Kagome paid attention in class and listened to the teacher. She knew that cramming and notes wouldn't totally prepare her. She needed to really pay attention to the revision the teacher was giving. It always occurred to her how much she missed in class when she had been in the feudal era. But none of that was going to happen again. She wouldn't be seeing Inuyasha again. Inuyasha…

Kagome mentally winced. This was the second time today that she had thought of him. She pushed him out of her mind. She was trying her best to forget him. It was best for her if she could one day not even remember his name. It would spare her a whole lot of misery. She was trying her best to move on, to not think of him. But as one half of her mind encouraged her to do this, the other half was saying: _you know you can't live without him. How can you ever forget him? You know you love him._

She told that half of her head to shut up. She looked down at her textbook and tried to understand what it was saying. The teacher was writing something on the board that looked like an elaborate rainbow. But she was sure it wasn't. She raised her hand.

"Excuse me, I don't understand." She said.

The teacher sighed and started explaining from the beginning. She could hear her classmates snickering and murmuring. She blushed. It must have been something really simple but she couldn't understand even that. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the new girl, Shirai, snickering and smirking at the same time, making no effort of hiding it. Kagome tried ignoring the mockery and focus. Fortunately, as soon as the teacher finished his topic, the bell rang. Kagome grabbed her bag and dashed out the door to her next class. She didn't know how long she could last this way. She knew she would officially crack if things carried on this way. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted Inuyasha.

She slowed down her steps and stood in the middle of the hallway. After pushing that thought out of her mind, she started walking slowly, eyes to the ground. When she had almost reached her next classroom, she bumped into someone.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was…"Kagome started, looking up. She was lost for words. The person she had bumped into was Shiren, the celebrity of the school. He had long, chocolate brown hair that partially covered his deep black eyes, giving him a mysterious look. He was in the basketball team, drama club and was running for class president. All the girls always went goo-goo-gaa-gaa over him. But personally, Kagome didn't really see what was so great with him. Aside from his good looks and popularity, he really didn't light a spark in her that would send her drooling all over him. She figured that if he were to be dumped into the feudal era, he wouldn't even last an hour.

"No, no, it wasn't your fault. _I _wasn't watching where I was going. I'm sorry. Excuse me," He apologised and gave her a small smile and then walked away. She knew that if it had been any other girl, she would have fainted. But she wasn't any other girl. She was herself. She didn't like Shiren. That was that. However, she still felt a slight sense of satisfaction. The star of the school had apologised to _her. _ Apparently, it was considered a big thing.

She strolled into class and sat at her usual seat. She turned around to see that Shirai was sitting in behind her. She was surrounded by people. They were talking and laughing at her jokes. Just then, Shirai looked at Kagome.

"You're Kagome right? Kagome Higurashi?" She asked.

Kagome nodded her head.

"Well then, how would like to come to my party this Friday? I'm holding a party at my house. Everybody's invited. I wanna' ya know, get to know everyone better. I would really like you to come," She said, holding out an invitation.

Kagome took it with a smile. She wasn't busy on Friday. Besides, it would be a great way to keep herself from thinking of Inuyasha.

"Okay. I'll go," Kagome said.

Shirai grinned widely, showing off a row of perfect, shiny white teeth. Kagome was sure that she saw a tiny glint of mischief in her eyes but chose to ignore it. She was going to a party.

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**Okee peepo thats the end of the third chapter! Until the next chappy! Hope you enjoyed it!**

**I think updates for Forget Me Not are gonna be up soon. And if I have the time, willpower and inspiration, I'll probably post a new story. I promise it will be suuuper fun.**

**Until then, keep reviewing!!! XD  
**


	5. Set Up

**Okay guys here you go. sorry it took so long but I had Forget Me Not and my latest fic: Messing with the Inu Crew to write so yah. I promise Ill write faster next time. In the meantime, enjoy!**

**I don own Inuyasha. **

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Chapter 4

Kagome clipped on her shiny, sparkly earrings. She rarely wore earrings at all. If she wore them in the feudal era, they could injure her if she fell or whatever else that could happen to her. But that would not happen now. She was stuck in her era. She could wear earrings freely, period.

She did one last touch up on her make-up. She couldn't remember the last time she had been to a party. As much as she was excited, she was also quite nervous.

She stood back and looked at herself in the mirror. Perfect. She was wearing a purple blouse with her favorite pair of jeans. Her bracelets on her wrists every time she moved and her shiny earrings completed the look. She put on her new high heels and went down the stairs. There was a 'plonk' sound every time she took a step. She wobbled a bit.

She could not remember the last time she had worn high heels. She was out of practice. She walked out of the door.

Kagome managed to catch a cab to Shirai's house. When she got out of the car, she was surprised to see how many people had arrived already. The front yard was filled with people laughing and talking. The house was really big and there was even a small fountain.

She walked inside the house and sure enough, even more people were inside. There was a table with plates of food on it. In the centre of the room, Shirai was surrounded by a group of people. When she saw Kagome, she immediately walked over to her with a grin.

"Hi Kagome! I see you've just arrived! Well then, come and hang out and chill with us over there. Your friends are already here." Shirai said as she gestured to Eri, Ayumi and Yuka. They were waving at her and calling her over. She smiled and walked up to them. They talked and giggled about school stuff and guys for a while. After a while, Kagome wandered over to the food table. She looked at all the yummy food and contemplated which she should take.

Suddenly, she felt something damp and slimy hit her back.

She turned around to see Shirai standing next to a bucket of brown stuff and her hand dirty and smudged with mud. She quickly turned around and realized what had happened. Shirai had thrown mud at her. Kagome stared, shocked.

She couldn't believe it. Shirai had thrown mud at her. Shirai was smirking. Just then, she felt another wet blob hit her. She looked over where it had come from. It had been thrown by a guy from school, a senior. At that moment, she realized that most of the people there were seniors. Two more blobs hit her. She looked around and realized that there were buckets containing mud all over the room. She had been set up.

"So, you figured it out huh? This is going to be fun." Shirai said, sounding for all the world like an evil villain. Actually, she wasn't really far from that.

"But why? I haven't done anything to you!" Kagome cried out incredulously.

Shirai flicked off some mud from her fingers and smirked.

"Isn't it obvious? You're competition. I don't like you. I have to eliminate you from the contest." She laughed.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. What was wrong with this girl? She was almost as crazy as some of the demons she had encountered. What 'contest' was this anyway? She was snapped out of her whirling thoughts by a bombardment of mud. She watched in dismay as her blouse got stained with mud. All those weeks of saving money to buy it was for nothing.

She shielded herself from the barrage of mud. She tried hard not to let the tears she was holding back flow out. She would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She kept trying to back away from the crowd but with each step she took, the throwing just kept getting more and more intense. Before she knew it, she had stepped out from the house and into the backyard. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that she was getting closer and closer to the pool. Any further and she would surely fall into the water. The crowd obviously figured this out too, because they were throwing the mud faster and harder.

Suddenly, she stepped in a puddle and slipped. _Oh no!_ She managed to gasp before she hit the surface of the water with a loud 'splash'. When she surfaced and took in a deep breath, she saw that people had already taken out their cell phones and video cameras and were recording the scene. All of them were laughing their heads off, especially Shirai.

Kagome got up and ran. She ran past the crowd of laughing people, out of the stupid house and down the street. Even when the house had long been out of sight, she still continued on running. She didn't know where she was going or how fast she was going but she just kept on running. Her high heels had been hindering her so she had just ripped them off and ran barefoot. The pavement felt hard and cold against her feet. When she ran off the pavement and into the grass, she felt the wet mud squish in between her toes. She finally tripped over a tree root and tumbled to the ground.

She didn't bother getting up. She felt the hot tears roll down her cheeks. Again she was crying out for Inuyasha. She wished he would appear in front of her. Kneel down beside her. Put his arms around her and pull her into a hug. If only he was here…

******

_Dear Inuyasha,_

_How are you? Today was one of the worst days of my life. The new girl in my class, Shirai, invited me to her party. She seemed really nice at first. She had invited almost all of the people in the school. She even invited Eri, Yuka and Ayumi. Her house was very big and her family was very rich._

_The truth was, the party was just to set me up. She had been jealous of me and wanted me to be made a fool of in front of everyone. I don't even know what I did. Inuyasha, can you help me? I feel very lost and alone. I wish I could just go back to the Feudal Era and never return. Inuyasha, I need you right now. I need your soft eyes to reassure me. I need your arms to wrap around me and protect me. I want to hear your voice tell me that everything is going to be okay. I can't be happy without you Inuyasha. I tried to forget you so it wouldn't hurt but I can't. I keep thinking of you every second of the day. Are you thinking of me too? I don't know if this letter will ever reach you but I will still continue to write every day, so that I can give myself a reason to think of you. I will never ever forget you Inuyasha._

_Will you ever forget me? I won't blame you even if you do. I always shouted at you. We always quarreled. You always had to save me every time I was in trouble. I was only a hassle to you. But in the end, you still stood by me. I hope that, deep down inside, I really meant something to you. I love you Inuyasha._

_Kagome._

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**Hope you guys enjoyed the fourth chappy. Ill update Forget Me Not soon and please read Messing with the Inu Crew! Sorry that this chapter was short but the next chapter will be longer. :) The next chapter will be about...Inu and Sesshy!!! Yay!! (Okay im weird i noe)**

**Please review!  
**


	6. Memories

**Hey guys! So this is the fifth chapter of letters for Inuyasha. Sorry for taking so long. Im just a very lazy person:P**

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Inuyasha...if i did, there would be a lot more changes....**

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Chapter 5

Sesshoumaru emerged from the forest, closely followed by Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un. The village came into view. Sesshoumaru could see the many humans working in the fields and doing other daily duties. He hated humans but yet he was walking in the direction of a human village. But, of course, he had a specific reason. He walked on. As he approached, he saw an old woman with an eye patch working in the field closest to where he was.

"You there, old woman, are you the head of this human village?" Sesshoumaru asked. The woman looked shocked at first but then put on a straight face.

"Yes, I am the head of this village. And who are ye?" Lady Kaede said.

"It does not matter. I need you to take care of this girl," Sesshoumaru said, gesturing to Rin. Kaede looked at Rin for some time before nodding. "Come girl, let's get ye settled in the village."

Rin shook her head and clung onto Ah-Un's reigns tightly.

"Rin, follow the old woman and do what she says," Sesshoumaru ordered.

"But Lord Sesshoumaru! Why are you leaving me here? I don't understand," Rin cried, standing in front of Sesshoumaru.

"Rin…from here on my journeys will get increasingly dangerous. For you to stay here is the safest option," Sesshoumaru explained.

"I see. Then will you come and visit me Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked.

"Yes, I will Rin," Sesshoumaru said, turning and walking away.

"Goodbye Rin," Jaken said, trying not to sound as sad as he actually was. He turned and followed Sesshoumaru.

"Goodbye Lord Sesshoumaru! Goodbye Master Jaken!" called Rin as she smiled and waved at them as they walked away further and further from the village.

"Come now child, you will live in my hut for now," Kaede said. Rin obediently followed her. "Hello. My name is Rin. What's yours?"

"Lady Kaede," Kaede replied.

*******

Inuyasha walk through the forest, listening as the birds chirped. It was peaceful. Inuyasha sat down under a tree and closed his eyes.

He was going on a journey to all the places that Kagome, Mirouku and Sango had gone on their travels. He was retracing every step they took. All the battle grounds, all the villages, all the campsites and all the places that held the slightest bit of memory. He treasured all these memories. There was not a minute in which he would not think of Kagome. He knew that if let even one of those memories go, they would never return. Memories, they were all he had left of Kagome.

Every quarrel, every bitter-sweet moment that they shared he held close to his heart. To him, they were even more valuable than his Tetsaiga. Her beautiful, soft eyes, her sweet, calming scent and her melodious voice.

"I love you as a half-demon, Inuyasha," Kagome had said.

Inuyasha clenched his teeth and opened his eyes. He got up and continued walking on. He had to stop thinking so much about her. Once he was finished with his journey, he swore he would stop thinking about Kagome and move on. He knew he had to, or else he would be running on the same spot his entire life and never get anywhere.

He broke into a run. He needed to let off some steam. He got like that every time he thought of Kagome. He was angry with himself that he didn't treasure her when he had the chance. He was angry that he didn't tell her that he loved her straight in the face. He was angry that the damn well had closed up forever. He was just _angry. _He ran on and on. When he knew he had reached his destination, he stopped.

There he stood at what was left of Mt. Hakurei. It was just a giant pile of rocks now. Only a very faint pure aura came from it now. It was all because of Naraku. But now he was dead and gone. No use getting upset over him. It was here at Mt. Hakurei that Kagome and the others had almost died. He remembered it like it was the day before.

They had been poisoned by one of the band of seven of whom Naraku had resurrected. They had been brought to a temple but it also had been a trap. He had cried for the first time in his life when they were saved by Myoga.

He had cried because he was so relieved that they were alive. That he had not lost his only friends he ever had. More importantly, that he had not lost Kagome. Ever since then, he promised himself to treasure her more and be more open to his feelings. But it had not been enough. She had left without ever knowing his true feelings for her.

All that time, he was afraid that she did not love him back. His biggest fear at that time was her to tell him that she did not feel the same way he did her.

He picked his way around the heap of rocks. It all was coming back to him in a flood of memories. The band of seven. Naraku with his barrier. Hakudoshi. Kikyo almost getting killed by Naraku.

For the thousandth time in his life, he felt truly lost.

*******

Rin sat in front of the fire in the hut. She watched as the red-hot flames danced about, feeding on the wood. She could almost see the little fire imps running and playing inside the fire. She remembered that long ago, her mother would tell her stories about tiny fire demons and how they were always fighting with the water sprites.

Rin sighed. These stories were the only memories she had left of her mother. _Those stupid bandits…why did they have to take away my family?_ She thought.

Rin hugged her knees. A few days ago, she had a family- a family of demons. Ah-un, Master Jaken and Lord Sesshoumaru were all her family. Now she was alone all over again.

_What if Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't want me anymore? What if he never comes to see me again? Why do I always have my family taken away from me? _Tears welled up in her eyes.

Just then, Kaede entered the hut to find Rin sitting in a corner, staring at the fire. Kaede set down her basket of herbs and went to sit beside Rin. When Kaede put a hand on her, she gasped. Rin hadn't noticed that Lady Kaede had come into the hut until she sat next to her.

"What is bothering ye, child?" Kaede asked. Rin hesitated for a moment.

"What if Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't come back for me? What if he doesn't want me?" Rin whispered sadly. Kaede sighed. This girl had obviously been with the demon for a very long time and had grown to care about him a lot, even if she herself didn't know it.

Kaede stirred the stew above the fire as Rin turned and stared out the window. The moon was full tonight. Rin stared at the moon for a very long time. The way it was so round and bright gave her hope. The way it was like a beacon in the black night sky made her believe that there was still a full and bright chance that Sesshoumaru will be back for her one day. No matter how long it took, she would keep in waiting for him.

Kaede gave her a bowl of stew and Rin accepted it with a nod of her head. Rin sipped her stew slowly.

"Lady Kaede?" Rin asked.

"Yes, child?" Kaede replied.

"Did you have any siblings?"

Kaede stopped stirring and took a deep breath.

"I had a sister. Her name was Kikyo."

"Who was she? How did she look she look like? Was she was a priestess like you?"

"Yes, she was a priestess. If you would like, Rin, I could tell you a story about her."

Rin's face brightened up and she nodded.

"Kikyo was a priestess who walked this earth fifty two years ago. She was the protector of the sacred shikon jewel that many demons were after…"

*******

_Dear Inuyasha,_

_How are you? Today was Monday. I had to go to school. I knew before I even stepped out of the house the situation would be horrible. But I didn't know how horrible it would be until I stepped into the hallway. The corridors were all buzzing with activity until I walked in. everybody just kept staring at me like I was some kind of freak. It was worse than being kidnapped by Naraku or any other demon. I couldn't stand it. I ran out of the hallway, down the way I had come. I only stopped after I was a few blocks away from school._

_I just found a clump of trees and just broke down and cried. I couldn't help it. I felt so helpless. I never had to go through anything like that my whole life. I felt lower than dirt. I was sure when I went ran out of the hall, I heard everybody laughing. I was sure pictures and videos of me were all over the net. I don't know what to do now. I finally understand what it feels like to be a half-demon, to be an outcast. Nobody wants you. Everyone treats you like trash. I just wish I was like you. I wish I could hold my head high and not care about what everyone thinks. I know what it feels like to be powerless. _

_Inuyasha, I never knew you had to go through so much pain in your life. For me, it was just this once and I'm already at the breaking point. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you growing up. I'm sorry if I ever said anything to you to rub salt into your wounds. I want to be the one who gets to heal those wounds. I love you, Inuyasha._

_Kagome

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_

**So thats the chapter no. 5! It was kinda fun writing the Inu/ Sessh/ Rin thing cos I just find them more fun to write:) Sometimes writing only on Kagome is kinda hard and gets boring. I just have to take that as a challenge i guess. Well, please review! The next chapter will be coming soon!!! :D**

**Byeee~~  
**


	7. I Can't Give You Up

**YO guys!! Its me Chrissy here! I noe all of you are soooo pissed at me! And let me say I am sooooooooooooo sorry for not updating for like months! I wont give excuses. I was extremely lazy. I was watching Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Black Cat during the holidays. I am so sorry!! I promise to update my crossover too. Meanwhile, please enjoy this chappy!! I apologise if it's short. :)  
**

**I dont own Inuyasha.  
**

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**Chapter 6**

Kagome stood under the lamppost and looked at her watch. She was early and the sun had just set. She shivered in the cold. All around her was pure, white snow. It was that time of the year again. She looked around again. It seemed like he wasn't here yet.

Earlier that week, Shiren had asked her to go out with him. She had been shocked at first and was about to turn him down but Yuka, Ayumi and Eri had answered for her. When he was out of earshot, they insisted that Kagome needed some 'healthy dating'. They explained that she hadn't been herself ever since she came back to school regularly again. Kagome finally gave in agreed to come for the date. After all, it would be good to have someone in her mind other than Inuyasha, since she would not be seeing him ever again.

_So here I am…I wonder why Shiren would be late…_

Right on cue, Shiren came up to her at that moment and smiled at her the way that made all the school girls squeal. Kagome smiled back.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry that I was late. The bus took forever to come." Shiren apologised.

"Oh it's okay, I wasn't really waiting that long." Kagome replied.

They talked and laughed all the way to the small restaurant they were having dinner at.

The restaurant was small but cozy and the food was nice too. As they ate dinner, Shiren kept talking about how he found school life extremely stressful and asked Kagome how she managed to keep so carefree. Kagome laughed and replied that it came naturally.

They moved on to the topic of friends, to hobbies, to aspirations and by the time they had finished dessert, Kagome was sure she knew all about Shiren.

When they walked out of the restaurant, it was still snowing.

"Well Kagome, I really had a lot of fun today. It was really awesome getting to know you," Shiren said.

"Same here. Well, I guess I better get going. My curfew is in twenty minutes," Kagome replied.

"Then at least let me walk you to the bus stop. It's the least I could do for such a beautiful young maiden such as yourself," Shiren smiled. Kagome giggled and agreed.

They walked in companiable silence all the way to the bus stop. Shiren then waved goodbye and started down the road to his home.

"He really is a nice guy. Tonight was so fun," Kagome sighed happily to herself. Suddenly, Kagome felt a pang of guilt. She felt like she was betraying Inuyasha.

She had said in every letter she wrote that she loved Inuyasha but if so, why was she dating another guy? What if Inuyasha was waiting for her at the well every day, feeling the same way she did. What if he was waiting for her every single day, to return to the feudal era to say to her those three words she was waiting to hear?

Kagome knew that Inuyasha and her had never really been an official item but she knew that there was _something. _

_Rather, there _had_ been something…Inuyasha isn't going to come back. So what if I go on a few dates with a couple of other guys. You don't really expect me to be sad and lonely my whole life just because I had feelings for Inuyasha right? I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't have wanted me to be like that…_

Or at least she hoped so.

******

Back home, she hung her coat on the rack and collapsed onto the bed. Outside it was still snowing.

As she stared at the tiny flakes through her window, memories flooded back into her mind. She recalled the time when she had shot Inuyasha with an arrow and was pushed down the well by Kikyo. It was snowing at that time too. She had managed to talk with Inuyasha through the sacred tree.

_I need you, haven't you realized that already, idiot?_

That was what he had said to her. She wondered if that was still the case now. She slid off the bed and sat at her desk and took out her pen and special paper. The paper was scented and had pink and purple tinges all over. It also had heart patterns printed on it. She had bought a stack of it at a bookstore a few days ago and decided to use it solely for writing letters to Inuyasha.

She looked at the snow and started to write.

_Dear Inuyasha,_

_How are you? It's started snowing today. I wonder if it's snowing on your side of the well too. I remember once when I was young, I made a small army of snowmen with Sota and we had a huge snowball fight together. Remember that time it was snowing in Kaede's village too and Shippo and I made a snow-statue of you? Now that I think about it, it didn't really look like you after all. Except for the frown, of course._

_Anyway, today I went on a date with Shiren. You know the guy I was talking about in my other letter. He's from my school and really popular. I know you might be angry. I'm sorry. But I hope you can understand. I'll probably never see you again and I can't hold back dating other guys just because I had feelings for you. You understand right, Inuyasha?_

_Who am I kidding…I can't lie to you or myself. I still love you, Inuyasha. How can I say in my letters that I love you when I am dating guys like Shiren. I don't know what to do. I know I have to move on…but yet I can't just let you go. Do you know how much I wanted to say 'I love you' all those times when you were injured so badly. Do you know how much I wanted to see you happy and contented? Do you know how much I want to see your shining eyes right now?_

_All those times you protected me from danger. All those times you sent me back home for my own safety. I never got to express my gratitude to you enough. I see now how people really appreciate things more when they are taken away from you._

_I love you Inuyasha, I really do._

_Kagome_

_

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_

**If you found this chapter a bit too cheesy, i apologise! **

**It seems that all im doing today is apologising.....**

**Anywayz, i hoped you liked the chapter! **

**Pls review if not ill go into writers block again and wont be able to post!**

**Again i apologise for everything!!! :)  
**


	8. The Way I Am

**Hey guys! Hows it goin? Sorry for not posting for such a long time! **

**I've been really busy with schoolwork and such! Seriously, Inuyasha is sooo lucky to have not gone to school for his whole life!!!**

**Anyways...enjoy the chappy!**

**As always, i don't own Inuyasha. If i did, he and Kagome would have kissed countless times.**

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Chapter 7

School had ended. Kagome was sitting under a tree in the school garden. She breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers and the sound of the birds' song gently chirping in her ears; just what she needed after a long, stressful day in school. She stretched then took out her special paper and her pen. She thought for a moment, then started to write.

_Dear Inuyasha,_

_How's life in feudal era going? Well, here in the present (well my present) it's not as happy for me. The teachers are giving us mountains of work to do. The exams are just around the corner again. It seems like I always have a test or exam coming up here and there. No wonder that's why you were always complaining. Sorry about that._

_Well, I guess this is better that fighting demons all the time. We always had to run after Naraku in a wild goose chase, never knowing when we would fall into one of his traps. There was always this constant threat of one of us getting hurt. But why am I even complaining anyway? The truth is, I loved being in the feudal era. It wasn't because of the demons or fights, it was because of Shippo, Kirara, Sango, Mirouku, and most importantly, you. I can't express how much I miss you and all the others. Life in modern era is so dull without you guys. I don't –_

Suddenly the paper was snatched out of her hands. She looked up with dismay to see Shirai standing there.

"Dear Inuyasha, how's life in the feudal era going? Well, here in the present (well my present) it's not as happy for me. The teachers are giving us mountains of work to do…Well, I guess this is better that fighting demons all the time. We always had to run after Naraku in a wild goose chase, never knowing when we would fall into one of his traps... What is this crap anyway? What kind of name is Inuyasha? And demons? What do you think you are? An exorcist? Huh, you sure have an over-imaginative head there," Shirai snickered as she read out the contents of Kagome's letter.

Her cronies, Akira and Saki, also laughed out loud and smirked as they read the letter.

"Feudal Era? Now I wonder how you get there? I bet it's through some time machine made out of a box and tape!" Saki said. Shirai and Akira burst into a new fit of laughing.

Kagome's shocked quickly turned to white-hot anger. She wished with all her heart that Shirai was a demon and she had her bow and arrow with her.

She got up and glared at Shirai.

"That letter is very important to me. Give. It. Back." Kagome said through gritted teeth.

"Or what?" Shirai challenged.

Kagome remained silent, not allowing the river of vulgarities to escape her mouth.

"Coward," Shirai muttered. Kagome couldn't resist it any longer. She reached out her hand and slapped Shirai. Hard.

Shirai gasped. She held her cheek that had been hit with her hand and stared at Kagome in disbelief.

Kagome was also equally shocked at what she had just done. She dashed out of the school grounds without a second thought. She kept running, her frustration powering her every step. She finally ended up under the sacred tree in her family's shrine.

_It always ends up back here…_ She thought.

The moment she stepped under the tree, she felt her head clear. Kagome felt too miserable for tears to come out. She just stood there for a long time, her mind blank.

_What would Inuyasha think of me now?_

That was the first thought she was able to process after some time. Even if it was Shirai, she had hit someone. She felt like her heart had been corrupt.

_So what if your heart is corrupt? It's not like you would need it here. Here you're not a priestess. Here you are a normal teenage school with everyday problems. _The bitter side of her mind said.

_But Inuyasha wouldn't like that. _She thought.

She felt horrible. Her tears started falling. It had been sometime since she had let her tears flow freely.

_I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I really need you right now…_

But still, she couldn't let go of the fact that Shirai had insulted Inuyasha. As she thought about it, the fire in her heart that had just been extinguished by her tears had ignited once again.

She continued to stare at the tree, studying the pattern on its bark, counting the number of leaves there were. She only noticed that her mother was there when she put a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Do you think that Inuyasha still thinks of me? Do you think he would be happy with the way I am right now?" Kagome asked her mother, breaking the silence.

Her mother pulled her into a hug and said, "Of course he does think of you. I bet he misses you as much as you miss him. And why won't he be happy with the way you are right now? Everyone goes through tough times, but they always pull through. I believe that you especially can turn any bad situation into a bright one."

Kagome blinked back tears. " Thanks so much mum," She said.

Kagome went up to her room. She sat at her desk and took out her letter paper. She thought for a moment, and then wrote:

_Dear Inuyasha,_

_I know that the story isn't over yet. I'm sure I'll see you once again. Someday…_

_I love you._

_

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_

**How was it? I noe its short but I'm lazy....**

**Please review! Nxt chappy coming soon!  
**


	9. Happy Birthday Kagome!

**HIHI!!!! Chrissy here!!! OKay! I noe what youre gonna say! I'm sorry for not updating for sooo long! From now on I'll try to update at least once a month 'kay?**

**And...have you noticed something? I'm a total idiot for not knowing this. Okay, let me state my horrible mistake. In this story's timeline, Kagome has already graduated from her previous school. But I've been writing like she's still in that school. I noe! I'm sososo sorry! I realized this when i watch Inuyasha the Final Act. So could you guys like pretend like she has moved onto her next school? the one with the blue uniform. I tink its blue....OKay! Thanks and Sorry!**

**I dont own Inuyasha. If not there would be a season on this story :P**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 8

It was night time. Kagome stared at the fire in front of her. Freshly caught fish were cooking on sticks. Kagome blinked.

_Where am I? _

"Do you think the fish are ready Kagome?" asked Shippo.

Kagome gasped. Why was Shippo here?

"Is something wrong Kagome?" asked Sango.

"Huh? Err…no," Kagome replied. _ Why am I back in the feudal era?_

"Keh, there's always something wrong with her," Inuyasha scoffed.

She turned to look at the half-demon seated cross-legged beside her. The light from the fire glowed off his eyes and silver hair, making him look…gorgeous. Her heart ached just at the sight of him. Despite the content of his words, Kagome almost cried with joy. She had to use all of her might not to start crying at that very moment. How she had longed to hear his voice.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, reaching out her arms towards him. Just as she was about to touch him, she started to get surrounded by fog. Her hands went right through Inuyasha. She gasped.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!! Don't leave me!!" Kagome yelled as she was plunged into darkness. Just as she was swallowed completely, she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

Kagome sat up suddenly. She was panting. Her heart was beating furiously. She looked around. She was back in her room. Light was pouring in from her window onto the pile of homework on her desk. She relaxed her muscles and sighed. It was just a dream.

She threw back the covers and got off the bed. She forced a smile onto her face.

_Well, there's no use to sulk. It was just a dream. After all, it is my special day. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. I should be happy with them._

When she went down to breakfast, her mother, brother and grandfather greeted her with bright smiles.

"Happy Birthday Kagome!!" they all cried in unison. Kagome beamed and went to sit at the table. Grandpa was the first one to make his move.

"Kagome, I thought long and hard about what to give you…And I finally came up with this!" Grandpa exclaimed excitedly, holding out thread like thing in a box.

"Errrrrr….what is this supposed to be exactly?" Kagome asked, politely accepting the gift but still looking skeptical.

Grandpa cleared his throat. "This is an ancient dragon whisker passed down for many generations in the Higurashi family. I knew it was the perfect gift for you for your birthday!"

*teardrop appears on Kagome's forehead*

"Errr…thanks gramps," Kagome said.

"Hey Sis! I made a card for you. Hope you like it," Sota said as he scratched his head in embarrassment. Kagome thanked him and patted his back.

"Kagome, I'll give you your present when you come back from school, Okay?" Kagome's mom said.

"Oh right! School! Thanks guys for the presents! See you after school!" Kagome cried as she ran out the door. Although she wasn't late, she just felt like running- she felt so full of energy.

_It's been two years since that day, the day when I met Inuyasha…_

*****

At school, she was greeted by all her friends and given armloads of presents. Even her teachers wished her a happy birthday.

The bell rang, class ended. Kagome went to her locker to put back her stuff. When she opened it, something fell out of it. She bent down to pick it up. It was a note, from Shiren. It said:

_Roses are red_

_Violets are blue_

_But none of them_

_Are as beautiful as you_

_Happy Birthday Kagome_

Kagome instantly blushed as she read this. _Shiren is so sweet! _She thought.

"Hey Kagome! You coming or what?" Eri called out.

"Huh? O-Oh yeah, I'm coming," Kagome replied, stuffing her books and the note back into her locker. She ran after her friends then slowed down to match their pace as they walked out of the school together.

The four of them treated Kagome to a really fancy restaurant, despite Kagome's desperate protests.

"It's your birthday Kagome. Why can't you just let loose a little and treat yourself a bit? It only comes once a year you know," Yuka said.

"W-well, I guess it won't hurt, since it's my birthday and all," Kagome sighed, defeated.

Kagome had lots of fun that day, going shopping, hanging out with her friends. But there was something at the back of her mind that was bugging her constantly. However, she was so occupied with her friends that she paid no attention to it.

In the end, Kagome went home with armloads of stuff that her friends had bought for her.

_They are really the best. What would I do without them…_ Kagome thought to herself.

_I have two groups of friends like that…Or I _had_ two. Now I only have one._

Images of Sango, Mirouku, Shippo, Kilala and Inuyasha flashed through her mind.

_Inuyasha…_

_On this day, two years ago, it was the first time I saw Inuyasha. …How I wish I could return to that day. Now that I think about it, that day was the day when it felt like I had finally awoken from a dream. A dream I had been living every day until then…_

Kagome closed her eyes and the image of Inuyasha –her beautiful Inuyasha- pinned to the sacred tree flashed into her mind's eye. The picture was so clear she felt like she could almost reach out and touch those white, fluffy dog ears. And suddenly, the picture was gone, like a sigh in the wind.

She climbed up the last steps to her family's shrine, the sacred tree came into view. Kagome went up to it, put her stuff on the bench and went to sit under the tree. Immediately her thoughts were crystal clear. Like her mother, she had always believed that the tree held some magic. If not how did Kagome come to meet Inuyasha? If not how did the well connect to the feudal era? If not how did Kagome feel like she was closer to Inuyasha every time she was near it?

Kagome felt her emotions that had been concealed in her heart burning like an undying fire. The tree's aura could always unlock her heart and make it open. That was how she could admit her feelings for Inuyasha to herself. That was how she was able to keep smiling.

_Inuyasha…I will keep waiting, even if it takes weeks, months, years or even decades, I will keep waiting for the day I can see you again…_

*******

_Dear Inuyasha _

_How are you? It's my birthday today. Do you remember? On this day two years ago, you woke up from the spell that Kikyo put you. The day when I first saw you. Hmph. I can see it like it was just yesterday. You were slumped in that position, hanging from the arrow like you were a plank of wood and it was a nail. I wonder if you felt any pain. Were you just floating in an endless darkness? Or were you just merely asleep? Perhaps you could feel me touching your ears?_

_I remember how I was being chased by mistress centipede. How you first opened your eyes and I saw your beautiful amber eyes for the first time. How I pulled on your hair to stop from being dragged away by mistress centipede. I'm glad now that I chose to trust you and free you from that spell. _

_Do you still think of that day? I sure do a lot. Whenever I feel like I'm losing myself, I think of that moment when I freed you from that arrow. The thought of you always makes me feel happy. It's okay if you want to move on without me. But I'll always be thinking of you. I'll always hold the sweet memory of you in my heart._

_I love you, Inuyasha_

_Kagome_

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**Hope ya'll like this chapter! Next one will come out soon!(soon as in before the end of the year :P just jk) **

**My writer's block has just beem cleared cos' of my awesome friend Elliac(chan)! Next chapter will be about Inu & Koga! Bet you guys missed the wolf guy right? I didnt! :)) (lol)**

**The plot of the next few chappies was inspired by the ever-awesome Elliac!!!!!**

**Till then byeeeee~**


	10. I Let You Down, The Letter That was Read

**Hihi! Yay! I'm sure you guys are absolutely estatic that i uploaded so fast. This is a new record for me! MUAHAHAHAHAAA!**

**Oh and another thing. Last time i said that this chap would be about Koga right? But sorry, that chap will have to wait. I wanted to introduce the OC asap. i sincerely apologise to all those Koga fans.**

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha was not, is not and will never be mine. Unfortunately T.T**

**Anyways, Enjoy!**

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Chapter 9

"MIROUKU!!! What the hell did you do?" Inuyasha yelled as his eyes fell on the fire that was spreading rapidly. The fire had started on the ground, caught on the grass and was now creeping up the tree and onto more grass.

"I'm sorry. I guess I got a little too carried away," Mirouku said, scratching his head and laughing in embarrassment.

"Well, quit dawdling and put this fire out!" Inuyasha said, already unsheathing his Tetsaiga.

"Wait! Inuyasha don't-" Mirouku said, but it was already too late. Inuyasha had already unleashed a wind scar. Mirouku's eye twitched when he saw how much damage it had caused. There was a clear path through the trees now. It had only been a small fire too.

"You do know that you could have hit the well right, Inuyasha?" Mirouku said.

"Tch," He replied.

_It was probably because the fire was near the well. He must have panicked that the well would catch fire and acted on instinct. But still… _Mirouku thought to himself.

"What were you doing anyway?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't ask," Mirouku sighed, sweat drops appearing on his head.

Inuyasha turned and looked at the direction of the well. He sniffed the air. He gasped. It was there, but it was faint, very faint.

Kagome's scent… Inuyasha took off without another word, arriving at the side of the well in record time. He looked down into the well. There was something there, something white.

Inuyasha jumped down and picked up the object. It was paper and there was writing on it.

_Dear Inuyasha…_

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide. It was Kagome's handwriting! This was a letter addressed to him!

Unfortunately, some parts of it were burnt due to flying embers from Mirouku's fire, making them unreadable. Inuyasha squinted and held it up to the light. (A.N.: The sentences that have the long line of dots are the parts that were burnt off) It read:

_Dear Inuyasha_

_How are you? I've been……..but I miss all of you really badly…………I know I've said I miss all of you countless times but this shows……………Especially you, Inuyasha._

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat. A tear had almost leaked out of his eye. Kagome actually missed him. Kagome…

_Today we did a lesson on the history of feudal Japan…….lesson was pretty vague. I felt like going up and teaching the class instead of Mr. Yakashite. During the lesson, I kept thinking of the four of us………..we fought demons……….defeated Naraku. We had to do an assignment on what we learnt and a little extra research. I find doing it agonizing……….so inaccurate. But if I write out all our adventures, it'll definitely be too long…………………..…will suspect something. I was taunted by Shirai again. I wish she would just leave me alone…………………………………………………..………………………….everyone stared at me like I was some freak._

Inuyasha felt surprised and angry. Kagome was no freak. He was the freak. He had lived his whole life as a freak. There was no way that Kagome could be seen as a freak. This Shirai girl was obviously the root of the problem. Inuyasha clenched his fist. He wished he could go to Kagome's side and comfort her and eliminate anything that hurt her.

_The Summer Dance is coming up. Shiren has already invited me……………………so sweet. He stood by me when all the others laughed at me……………………….Shirai is trying to take him from me………………………….. not like I like him or anything. He's just really nice. You might think I'm stupid…………………..you and I could go to the dance together………………………………that would be perfect………………………………_

Obviously this 'dance' was very important to Kagome. And here she was saying that she wanted to go with him. His eyes softened. Kagome…

_Oh Inuyasha, ………………………………I don't know what to feel…………………..i miss you……...it's just so hard to go on……………………._

_I love you, Inuyasha_

_Kagome_

Inuyasha was on his knees now. He wasn't crying. His emotions were beyond that now. He was just…there, trying to sort out his thoughts. Nobody had ever said that they loved him before, besides his mother. If he had been in any other state, he would have considered this foolish, something that he would never be caught doing. He could not be beside Kagome, his Kagome. He vowed to protect her but now, when she now when she was in pain, he could do nothing to help her.

He pounded his fist into the ground again and again. He felt so useless. He could not help her. He could do nothing. Nothing. He pounded his fist again and again, harder each time, till his hand was bleeding. Inuyasha sat back with his back against the wall of the well.

He cried.

The endless flow of tears that refused to stop. Through his mind's eye, he saw himself as a young boy again, lost and alone. He had not changed much after all.

*********

Myoga had searched high and low for Inuyasha all day long. It wasn't easy looking for a half-demon when you the size of a pea. By the time he finally found him, the sun was already setting. He was sitting under a tree, looking dazed.

"Lord Inuyasha!" Myoga cried, jumping off the bird he had been riding on and onto Inuyasha's knee. Myoga could sense that something was wrong with Inuyasha. He was very still and his fringe totally veiled his eyes and he looked like he had been deep in thought.

"What is it Myoga?" Inuyasha asked, his voice soft.

Myoga cleared his throat and gathered up his courage. This piece of information was really important. He absolutely had to say it, no matter what mood Inuyasha was in.

"Lord Inuyasha, I think I may have found a way to re-connect the well, but-" But before he could finish his sentence, Inuyasha had leaped up, causing Myoga to fly.

"What about the well? Hurry up and spit it out!" Inuyasha practically yelled at the flea.

Myoga was still dizzy, but forced himself to reply. "At first it was just a rumor, but I didn't think it was true. But I searched high and low for information-"

"I don't want the details dammit! Just tell me how to make the well open up!" Inuyasha yelled, making the birds who were perching on the tree fly away.

"Lord Inuyasha, please calm down. I do not know how exactly to open it up. But I do know someone that may know, however, I am not sure if he will be willing to tell you how or even open it up for you," Myoga said, slightly glad that he had managed to finish his sentence for once.

"Tch, where is this person?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently, trying his best to not to flare up.

"Well, 'this person' is actually the original constructer of the well. He lives somewhere in the mountains in the north. On foot, it will take approximately two days, running of course," Myoga said. "Now if you will excuse me…"

Inuyasha did not even wait for Myoga to disappear, he was already on his way to the village to tell Mirouku that he would be gone for a few days.

_I'll definitely make it there in one day…. Kagome, hold on, I'm coming for you._

_**

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**_

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! I wrote it really fast so I'm not sure if it's really good. I find that Inu is a bit OOC. Pls tell me your opinions in a review!**

**I owe all inspiration and the basic plot of this chapter and the next to my good friend Elliac who is currently rehearsing her speech for a school assignment beside me while i am writing this. XP**

**THANK YOU ELLIAC!!!!!!!**

**Please review. I am currently working on Chapter 10. I hope i wont take too long. So till then..._Bye~!_**


	11. The Manipulator of the Well

**ATTENTION! THIS STORY IS NOT DEAD!**

**Hihi! I'm back!~ (from the dead)**

**Yes, it looks like i've been dead all this time ive not posted! I noe, I'm sorry. i was just rlly ,rlly lazy and kept procrastinating 24/7. But i do have a valid reason. I had exams! Mid-years. (Hope i dont fail) Ah well, i took like 2 hrs(or more) to do this. Its a bit longer than usual to make up for the not-posting. :)**

**Enjoy!~**

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Chapter 10

Hake ran his hand through his mop of brown hair. Another piece of paper had turned up at the front of his house, if you could even call it a house. It was more like a really well furbished cave…Well, getting back to the paper problem.

Quite some time ago, the Bone Eater's Well had suddenly closed up. That was strange, as there had been a lot of activity coming from it before. It had gotten to such a climax and then suddenly, silence. Nothing. Zip. He had found this extremely weird. He was linked to the well through some ancient spell his father had put on him and thus he was part of the well, and the well was part of him. He could even manipulate the well a bit. And thus, he felt that it was the right thing to do to try to restore it to the way it was.

Unfortunately, although his power had some effect on the well, he could not force it to open the portal entirely. As much as he tried, he could only open it up big enough to let these papers through. These letters.

At first he found them kind of touching and fun to read. But after a while however, he had just found them to be boring. He had a very short time span of attention for fluffy, romance stuff.

Hake sighed, he had best get back to his spells and stuff. He had deadlines to make. He concocted and made spells and sold them off to both humans and demons for a living. This was considered an extremely peculiar action as demons, especially half-demons like him, usually did not even earn money. Well, to speak accurately, he didn't exactly earn money. He traded his potions and spells for human treasures like fine clothes and the occasional necklace. He liked those kind of things.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that his concoction had started bubbling. He quickly put a lid on the pot and left it to stand. He sighed and went to sit down. There was something that was bordering him lately. He had been feeling anxious for no particular reason. He couldn't sit still and couldn't sleep at night. However, before he could continue his thoughts, he was disturbed by loud footsteps.

He turned to where the sound was coming from and saw a man with silver hair in a bright red haori with…dog ears? That must be a half-demon or something.

"Hey you, what're you doing here?" Hake said.

"Are you the one who controls the Bone Eaters' Well?" The half-demon demanded.

"Ah, well, not really. But I suppose you can-"Hake began, but was cut off when the half-demon unsheathed his giant sword and pointed it at his face.

"Woah! Watch where you point that thing!" Hake exclaimed, backing away slowly from the sword tip.

"I don't have time to waste on you! Tell me why it closed up! Tell me how to open it!" The half-demon yelled at him.

_Oh, so that's how it is…poor fool. Doesn't understand that it's not that simple._

Hake held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Calm down will ya'? I'm the person you're looking for but you need to understand some things first. And could you put that thing away please?" He pushed the blade away from his face with his finger.

"Keh, fine. Whatever," The half-demon said, sheathing his sword but still glaring at him.

Inuyasha leaped up the tree and settled into one of its branches. He sighed. The day had been everything but eventful. True, he had finally found the person who controlled the Bone Eater's Well, but it had been a kind of disappointment. He had been expecting the person controlling the well to be the actual constructor of the well. But unfortunately, it was the constructor's son. Furthermore, he could only control the well minimally.

However, one consolation was that the person was a half-demon, like him.

His name was Hake, he had said. Inuyasha had threatened Hake to explain everything, even unsheathing Tetsaiga. Hake had obviously become very frustrated with him eventually as he was constantly interrupting him, rolling his green eyes and shaking his head. Miraculously, Hake had been able to get through his whole explanation to Inuyasha, who had been paying close attention (but not getting a single thing). His ears had perked up when Hake mentioned that small items had come through the well because of his tampering. When Inuyasha had asked what those items were, Hake had merely shrugged it off, saying they were not worth mentioning and continued lecturing. Inuyasha had not believed him one bit but did not press further.

After formalities were exchanged, Hake had chased Inuyasha out of his cave, saying that he had important business to take care of. Inuyasha only gave in when Hake promised to let him in later. Inuyasha had scoffed and stalked off, agitated at having to wait. But yet, he felt a small sense of accomplishment at getting a lead.

Inuyasha looked up at the half moon shining brightly in the night sky, framed by a pattern of clouds, stars glittering like diamonds. He had already waited for what seemed like eternity. He could not wait any longer.

Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and headed in the direction for Hake's cave. Just then, he saw Hake running up to him, waving excitedly.

"Hey, Inuyasha! Come here quickly! I think I found something!" Hake said.

"What? Really? What is it?" Inuyasha asked, feeling the anticipation bubbling up inside of him.

"I'll show you. It's much better than explaining."

Together, they ran all the way back to his cave. Now that it was night, it was well lit with candles and there was even a fire in the middle of the cave.

"Now what is it you wanted to show me?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Here it is," Hake gestured to his work table with a wide smile. At least, Inuyasha thought it was a table. He couldn't tell under all the papers and other…stuff.

On top of the pile was an old scroll unfurled with line after line of writings. Inuyasha stared at it for a moment. He tried to read it but failed miserably. He knew how to read but this was too complex for him, furthermore, it was a LOT of words.

"Err, can you please explain to me what this thing means?" Inuyasha asked, scratching his head in confusion.

Hake resisted a laugh. "It basically means, that there is a way to open up the well-"

"WHAT? REALLY? HOW?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Just shut up and let me continue you idiot!" Hake yelled back. Hake took a deep breath and sighed, all the while glaring at Inuyasha. "Like I was saying, the well can be opened, but you need to find the key to open it."

"Then where is it?" Inuyasha asked, trying to be patient as possible.

"Can't you ever wait? I'm coming to that," Hake said. "The key is a pearl, but it is hidden deep within a forest. But not just any forest, it's the Forest of Death." He paused dramatically.

"Tch, weird names don't scare me. Who do you think I am?" Inuyasha growled.

"Ah well, it was worth a shot," Hake said. "Anyway, about this Forest of Death thing, nobody has ever come out alive, only because no one has even been _in_ there before. Plus, the forest is virtually unreachable to anybody."

"I'll get there, no matter what it takes. I'm gonna' take back that pearl key or whatever and open up the well again. I don't care about the dangers. Just tell me how to get there," Inuyasha said, fresh determination shining in his eyes.

Hake eyed him for a moment. "Fine. But I'm coming with you."

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**Okay so thats it for now! I know that other ppl write looong chapters after not posting for like forever, but for me, thats just not happening. Ah well, 10 chaps. Yay! :P**

**Pls R&R! (Hake rules)**


	12. Wishing Star

**T.T I'm so sorry! i won't give excuses so i'll just say i didn't feel like continuing my crappy story until now :)**

**I'll be updating from now on so pls read! Thank you! X)))**

**Song: Ichiban no Takaramono by Lisa(Girls Dead Monster)**

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Chapter 11

_Whenever our faces met, we would only fight__  
__Even those were good memories_

_You taught me this. I'm not afraid anymore_

_No matter how difficult it is, I can grab hold of happiness, so…_

_Even alone, I'll go on, even if it's painful__  
__I'll definitely take along the dream I saw with you__  
__Being with you was so wonderful, you and not anyone else__  
__But when I woke up in the morning, you're not there_

_I felt like we could just have fun forever__  
__I understand that I only felt that way__  
__I no longer regret that I was born__  
__Like the feeling after a festival, it's lonely, but it's time to go_

_I'll go anywhere with the things that I learned here__  
__I'll show that I can make the dream called happiness come true__  
__Even if we're apart, no matter how far apart we become,__  
__I will live on in a new morning_

_Even alone, I'll go on, even if I want to die__  
__I'll hear your voice telling me that I must not die__  
__Even if it looks painful, even if I'm crying in loneliness,__  
__Deep in my heart I feel your warmth_

_Turning and flowing along, time is transient__  
__What happened then? I can't remember__  
__But if I try closing my eyes, I can hear someone's laughter__  
__Somehow, that is now my most precious treasure_

Kagome stared up into the night sky. It looked familiar, yet felt so different. She had gazed at this sky and its twinkling stars countless times before. They were the same always. But there was something different. There was someone important missing from the picture.

Kagome felt around the patch of grass next to her. It was empty but the grass in the patch was flattened, which meant someone had been there.

"Inuyasha?"

Kagome woke up with a start. Her eyes darted around the room, seeing nothing. It was still night time. She reached for her lamp and flicked the switch. The familiar surroundings immediately came into view. Kagome glanced at the clock and sighed. 2.35am.

_I'd better get back to sleep. Another test tomorrow…_

She sighed again, turned off the light and was about to throw back the covers over her head when something caught her eyes in her peripheral vision. She stared out at the window. She sleepily got out of bed and scrambled to the window. She sat there and stared.

_So beautiful…am I still dreaming?_

Stars, thousands of them, dotted the sky like tiny diamonds scattered across a sheet of black velvet, so much like the one in her dream. A tiny voice in her head told her that she needed to go back to sleep. She told that voice to shut up.

She couldn't remember the last time she saw such a beautiful night sky.

_It was probably when I was in the Feudal Era. With Inuyasha…_

She was beginning to understand that it didn't matter where you spent your time in; it was who you spent it with. Even beautiful nights like this felt empty without somebody to spend it with. She continued to gaze at the sky, reminiscing the moments and conversations she had with Inuyasha on nights like this. Suddenly, she saw something flash across the sky.

Kagome gasped. It was a shooting star; a chance for a wish. Of course, she knew what that wish would be in a heartbeat. No, it would not be that she would be able to see Inuyasha again – she had already accepted her fate.

_I wish…that Inuyasha will find his own happiness…_

Maybe Inuyasha would find someone else to replace her, maybe he won't. All she wanted was that he would be able to live a peaceful, blissful life even if they could not meet again. It was the best wish. The only un-selfish wish she had for him. After all, love meant sacrifice and selflessness, doesn't it?

Somewhere along the way, she slowly slumped to the floor and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Inuyasha growled at Hake.

"Maybe," Hake smirked.

They walked through Kaede's village, attracting various forms of staring from the villagers. Inuyasha glared back at them, and they quickly returned to their own tasks. Further up, he could see the old woman Kaede with a little girl in an orange kimono.

"Tch, that bastard," he muttered to himself. He had heard from Mirouku that Sesshoumaru had dropped off his human companion in the village quite some time ago. Inuyasha was never in the village for extended periods of time and so he knew nothing about this until a while ago. Naturally his reaction was negative and he had begun cursing and swearing at Sesshoumaru for being an irresponsible jerk and what not.

Inuyasha quickly snapped back into focus, deciding that this was not the best time to get pissed off by Sesshoumaru, especially with the fact that he wasn't even _there_.

"You should really learn some anger management," Hake suggested. Inuyasha just glared at Hake. They had a long walk in front of them and if they wanted to make it to the Forest of Death in two _walking_ pieces, they had better get along. Somewhat at least.

While Inuyasha was hard at work controlling his behavior, Hake was deep in his own thoughts. This so called "Forest of Death" was too overrated for him. True, any weak living thing that stepped foot in it would die on instant, but it wasn't like there was any curse or dangerous demons living in there. In a nutshell it was just a dead forest that was overexposed to too much miasma and gave off a horrible aura. Of course there were a few demons here and there, but they were mostly weaklings that fed off the bad vibes.

But the thing that really bothered him was how he was going to find that "pearl" thing that was described in the scroll his father had left him. Truthfully, the contents of the scroll had been nothing but vague. The only thing that was specific was the location of the pearl and the description of the pearl itself. The rest of the information was only hints on how to use the pearl and how the pearl is formed. Hake only hoped that he would know what to do when the time came. Who would want an angry hanyou pointing his excessively gigantic sword at their face?

He looked over to Inuyasha, who was walking with a lesser frown on his face than usual. Was it just him, or did Inuyasha look _longing_? Hake had realized the instant Inuyasha "introduced" himself that he was the intended recipient of the letters that he had been receiving. It didn't take him long either to figure out that there had been some romance thing going on between Inuyasha and some girl that had something to do with the Bone Eater's Well. He almost felt sorry for Inuyasha.

_Must have been some girl, to have fallen in love with that hotheaded guy. Well, I guess I just have to do my best to bring them back together. _

This sudden thought of kindness brought involuntary shivers across Hake's body.

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**THANK YOU FOR READING! I LOVE YOU PLS REVIEW EVEN THO I DONT DESERVE IT :)))**


	13. The Bone Eater's Well

**Heya peeps! As promised, i have presented to you another chapter! Yay! :D**

**Enjoy!**

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After days of walking, they finally reached their destination. If any human saw this, they would be so intimidated that they would just turn and run. But for Inuyasha and Hake, this was not the case. They just stood for a moment, eyeing the forest that had been drenched in miasma. The only thing that could be seen for miles was the dark, purple fog and the shriveled silhouettes of long dead trees. Not a sound could be heard, even for Inuyasha with his sensitive ears.

_It really is like a forest of death, _Hake thought. He then reached into his sack and pulled out two pieces of cloth that looked like masks.

"Here, wear this. It'll protect your lungs from the miasma," Hake said as he held out one to Inuyasha.

"Keh, what do you think I am? This is nothing. I'll be fine, just worry about yourself." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Suit yourself."

They then advanced into the forest. The ground crunched unpleasantly beneath Inuyasha's bare feet. He felt like there were things gnawing at him every time he cracked the dry ground. Even though he would brush it off as nothing, the strong miasma and negative demonic energy was starting to get to him. He did not want to stay longer than absolutely necessary.

"What exactly are we looking for? There's nothing but dead stuff here." Inuyasha said irritably.

"Well, according to the scroll, there used to be a giant tree in the middle of this forest. The tree used to absorb the bones of dead animals and demons that were lying on the forest floor. The tree was cut down by my father and was used construct the Bone Eater's Well, hence the name. Don't ask me why the well was built so far away from the original tree, but he once said it had something to do with the aura and demonic energy of the forest around the well that made the location ideal." Hake explained, looking in much better shape than Inuyasha.

_Maybe I should have taken one of those masks, _Inuyasha thought.

"Getting back to your question, we're looking for the stump of that tree that was cut down. Apparently it still has plenty of demonic energy in its roots, which are spread out beneath the entire forest floor." Hake said, gesturing to the ground beneath them.

"So what are gonna' do when we find this stump? Dig out the roots?"

"Hell no, that would take forever, even for you. This is where I come in. I have to gather up and concentrate the remaining demonic energy into a single spot and crystallize it. It sounds easy but I can assure you it's not."

"Keh, whatever."

They continued walking for a while more in silence. Inuyasha felt like he was on the verge of having a coughing fit. The miasma was strong and concentrated, and Inuyasha wondered if this was one of the places Naraku had polluted. Inuyasha sniffed the air again and decided that the miasma did carry the faintest trace of Naraku's scent. Of all the places to have proof of Naraku's existence it had to be here, where he was finding hope of seeing Kagome again.

After passing by countless trees and fallen logs, Hake finally stopped. Inuyasha peeked out from behind Hake at the giant tree stump that was sticking out of the ground awkwardly.

"This is it? Looks like any normal dead tree to me," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Yeah, sure it does," Hake said, rolling his eyes. He rubbed his hands together. "Okay, this is the tricky part. Could I kindly request that you stand over there and not disturb me?" Hake gave one of his 'sweetest' smiles as he gestured to a spot away from the tree stump.

Inuyasha "feh-ed" but did as he was told. He folded his arms into his sleeves and waited patiently as Hake took a deep breath and put his palm on the tree stump.

Hake breathed in and out slowly as he closed his eyes. He focused on his palm and channeled all of his power through that hand. He opened his mind's eye as wide as he could and saw a pinpoint of deep blue light. He reached for that and when he got close enough, it exploded and he was surrounded by the light. There were little orbs of light dotting the abyss of blue around him and the whole world seemed to pulsate and swirl around him.

_This must be what it's like in the Bone Eater's Well_, Hake thought.

Summoning more power, he started to draw the light closer to him, attracting the light like a magnet. Power surged through his blood, coursing and pulsating in synchronicity with the energy around him. He struggled to maintain his control over the vast sea of light as more and more of it concentrated around him. It was like the stars of the night sky were swirling around him. He tried to compress the light into the palm of his hand as best as he could, crystallizing it into a sphere, a pearl. It was about as easy as trying to cram they entire sky into a tiny box. When he felt that he had collected enough power, he stopped drawing in the light and solidified the pearl.

Hake felt the power and the light ebbing away, and he was once more in his physical form. He continued to close his eyes as he caught his breath. He realized he was sweating all over. After a few seconds, though, he opened his eyes and was aware of the solid, cool surface of the pearl on his hand.

Inuyasha watched as Hake stepped away from the tree stumped and walked over to where he was. Hake opened his palm to reveal a glimmering, smooth pearl.

Inuyasha stared in shock. The pearl looked exactly like the shikon jewel, except that it was a pale shade of blue. He took the pearl from Hake's outstretched hand and held it. It felt different. The shikon jewel had pulsated with energy due to the constant battle of the souls contained in it. But this one was gentler, calmer. This jewel's aura only buzzed with energy, and the feeling it gave off was unique. It felt like… inside the Bone Eater's Well. The energy both of them gave off was similar.

Inuyasha stared at the pearl before giving Hake a slap on the back. "Nice job, Hake! Looks like you were good for something, after all."

"Hey, don't underestimate me. Besides, why won't I be able to do something like that?" Hake stated.

"Whatever, let's get back to the village." Inuyasha said, turning around.

As they walked, Inuyasha felt hopeful. _Maybe, just maybe. Will I finally get to see Kagome after so long?_

Hake was also absorbed in his thoughts. _I can't be sure if this will work or not. It really all depends on the situation. I just hope that the well will accept the pearl. Hmmm, that's weird. I would have expected that the tree's spirit would have deterred me from taking away so much of its power…_

No sooner had that thought been processed that Hake felt that he couldn't move. His whole body was paralyzed. Suddenly he felt the ground beneath his feet collapse and his feet went underground. He felt himself sink lower and lower into the ground, like the ground was swallowing him up.

"Inuyasha!" Hake shouted.

Inuyasha whipped around. He quickly grabbed Hake's hand. He was already in up to his waist. Inuyasha pulled as hard as he could but Hake wouldn't budge.

Hake slammed his other hand down on the ground and shot some of his demonic energy into it. The ground seemed to vibrate and as it did, the soil loosened its grip. Inuyasha pulled and yanked half of Hake's body out of the ground. Hake quickly scrambled out of the soil, picked himself up and ran. Inuyasha quickly ran after him.

The roots of the tree started to emerge from all over the ground, rising like serpents. Luckily, both of the half-demons were agile and they were quite near the edge of the forest. Hake was one step away from safety when one of the roots clung onto his ankle. Inuyasha slashed it and they made it out of there in one piece. They ran a bit more for the sake of safety and then stopped as Hake caught his breath.

"What was that all about?" Inuyasha asked.

"It was probably seeking the energy that was taken from it. Like, you know, equivalent exchange. I took its energy, it wanted to take mine. Plus, my energy synchronizes with it, so it would much rather prefer me to you. That's why it didn't try to absorb you." Hake said. Inuyasha nodded.

* * *

Inuyasha stood at the lip of the well with Hake beside him. He clasped the pearl in his hand for a moment before passing it to Hake. Hake took it and jumped down into the well. He dug a little hole in the middle of the well and placed the pearl inside the hole before covering it up with soil again. It was as if he was planting a seed.

Hake climbed back out of the well again and stood on the edge of the well. He took out a flask made out of the husk of a gourd and poured the contents into the well. The well immediately burst into blue flames which practically engulfed the entire well. After a while, however, the flames died down and was replaced by a shining, bright white light that came from the base of the well. The light was so bright that Inuyasha had to cover his face with his sleeve.

After that was done and the well had returned to normal, Hake peered into the well and inspected it. He looked Inuyasha in the eye and nodded.

Inuyasha didn't waste a second jumping into the well. He pleaded to whatever heavenly being that existed that the well would connect. But as he touched the floor of the well, nothing happened. He waited, and waited. But the well still remained a well.

"What's the meaning of this, Hake?" Inuyasha demanded. "What was the point of traveling all the way to that stupid forest to that stupid tree? What was all that fire and that light? _Why is nothing happening?" _

Hake just stared solemnly at the well. "Sorry, Inuyasha. I tried. But you shouldn't lose hope yet. Like I said, the Bone Eater's Well is unpredictable. The reaction could have happened just now, it could take hours, days, months, even years. You just have to wait."

"Wait? For how long!" Inuyasha punched the ground. "Damn!" He leapt out of the well in a flash of red and white and took to the trees.

Hake stared that direction Inuyasha had disappeared to. He could understand how he felt. Hake felt like it was his fault. He could have tried harder. He could have used more power. But he didn't. He had let another person down.

Hake was sure they wouldn't be meeting anymore. He wasn't needed. Hake cast one more longing look at the well before turning around and walking home.

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**Please RXR! :))))) Thank you for reading!**


	14. Koga's Scent

**Hisashiburi minna-san! Sorry for not updating for so long... **

**ack i dont know what else to say... well, nobody reads the author's note anyway so yea ^^**

i don't own inuyasha

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 13

Mirouku strolled under the shade of the trees, in search of the hanyou that this forest was named after. When he found him, Inuyasha was sitting in a tree apparently asleep. Not hesitating to wake him, Mirouku pounded the end of his staff on the tree repeatedly, shaking the tree and waking the sleepy Inuyasha.

Mirouku noticed that Inuyasha had been extra distant ever since he returned to the village with that foreign demon the other day. They had gone into the forest and soon there was a bright white light that seemed to emerge from the trees. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the light had come from the Bone Eater's Well, and that Inuyasha and that other demon had done something to it. But whatever it was, it hadn't worked.

After seeing Inuyasha roam around the village with that lost look on his face, Mirouku decided enough was enough. Like it or not, Inuyasha had to snap out of his melancholy.

"Inuyasha, get down from there. I have something to talk to you about." Mirouku called.

Inuyasha opened one eye and looked down at Mirouku. "Go away Mirouku. I'm not interested in one of your secret flirting schemes."

"No, no. It's nothing like that. More like, I want you to help me out with my next exorcism job."

"Why should I?"

"Well, to be frank, you've just got too much time on your hands. You need to move on Inuyasha. Maybe Kagome isn't coming back, maybe she is. But waiting around and going on wild goose chases isn't going to help anything. Plus, wouldn't it be better if you spent your time helping people instead of wandering around?" Mirouku pointed out, staring at Inuyasha in the eye.

Inuyasha went silent for awhile. _He's right. Sitting around won't change anything. Hake was my last hope of reaching her. She's not coming back. I have to get on with life. It's what she would have wanted me to do._

"Okay, I'm coming."

Inuyasha followed Mirouku back to the village to his hut where he went to retrieve his necessary equipment. Inuyasha noticed how big Sango's belly had gotten. He supposed the baby was coming along soon. Mirouku kissed Sango goodbye before heading off with Inuyasha.

"Hey Sango, take care of yourself," Inuyasha called out before following the monk.

"Yes, I will," Sango smiled as she waved them off.

As Mirouku and Inuyasha departed the village, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. Their group used to be six strong, but now it was reduced to two. Well, it wasn't exactly the same. After all, they were just going on a one-time job, not hunting for Naraku.

"Hey Mirouku, where are we going?" Inuyasha asked.

"We're going to a village not too far off from here. About a day's walk should do it." Mirouku said. "Some wealthy landlord's servant came to the village yesterday to request for my exorcism services. Seems like my reputation has been growing, right Inuyasha?"

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

Mirouku sighed. On the plus side, at least his plan had worked. Now he would have to do half the work and still get paid the same amount. Surely Inuyasha wouldn't need any of the pay. Just then, Inuyasha stopped and started sniffing the air.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?" Mirouku asked, looking around and raising his staff.

"Relax, it's only wolf boy," Inuyasha said.

"Wolf boy? You mean Koga?"

Inuyasha thought back to the last time Koga had shown up. It had been one of those boring afternoons where he had just been strolling around the forests near the village. He had caught Koga's scent in the breeze and looked in the direction the scent had come from. Sure enough, he had seen Koga approaching fast toward him. But not as fast as he used to be.

Inuyasha had noticed that Koga didn't look like he was going to stop anytime soon. He took a step back and braced himself, hand on Tetsaiga's hilt.

"Inuyasha!" Koga yelled as he swung his fist at Inuyasha. Inuyasha just managed block his attack but it was so forceful that he was immediately thrown back.

"What the hell Koga! What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha yelled as he tried to fend off Koga's furious attacks. Koga managed to break through Inuyasha's guard for a moment and his fist made painful contact with Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha flew to the ground in a cloud of dust, cursing. He quickly jumped up again, not wanting to be vulnerable.

"Where's…Kagome…" Koga panted. Inuyasha froze for an instant. Koga bore him through with his glare while Inuyasha just glared back.

"Bastard! Answer me!"

"She's…home. She's safe." Inuyasha said, somewhat deflated.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She went back to her world. The well can't connect anymore. That's why you can't smell her scent."

"You're sure she's safe? What if demons attack her?"

"Her world is a lot safer than ours. Trust me."

"Why should I trust you, mutt. After all, you lost her!"

"What would you know? All you ever do is move that big mouth of yours! Besides, if I had the choice, do you think I would want her to leave?"

Koga continued to glare at Inuyasha. Inuyasha stared back with an unwavering expression. A moment later, Koga gave in.

"As long as she's safe," Koga said. He then turned and left.

"Yeah," Inuyasha mumbled to himself.

Inuyasha snapped back to the present. Their last encounter had been rough. Without Kagome to stop them, they had just carried on fighting. Inuyasha didn't look forward to a repeat of history. Even though that had happened months ago, he knew Koga stilled blamed him for Kagome's disappearance.

"Let's go," Inuyasha said to Mirouku. Mirouku stood still and said nothing as he eyed Inuyasha overtake him. Mirouku understood that it wasn't good for Koga and Inuyasha to cross paths and so he continued to walk.

_If Koga intentionally came looking for Inuyasha though, there's no helping it._ Mirouku thought. As they walked, Mirouku kept having the feeling that Koga would be bursting out of the trees at any moment. He peered into the trees every few seconds, looking out for a flash of brown and black.

"Keh, you can relax now, Mirouku. That bastard's scent is gone now. He probably got scared and ran off." Inuyasha scoffed.

The monk gave a sigh of relief. After all, it would have been awkward if he was just left in a corner all by himself if Inuyasha and Koga fought. Now he could devote his thoughts to the upcoming job… and what blackmail – oops, method- he should use this time to get a maximum profit...

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**That was awkwardly abrupt... basically this chapter was about Koga and stuff. I know, it was a stupid anticlimax but i had no idea how to write Koga into that part of the chapter so i just left it at that... oh well.**

**Next chapter should be up soon(as a relative term), i've already written half of it so i'm thinking it won't take that long. :)**

**well, till next time! XD**


	15. Bows and Arrows

**Hey minna-san! I'm back :) **

**This chapter has been written relatively quickly and that's why its kinda' short, compared to my previous few chapters. But who cares :) You could say i was inspired by a certain writer who updates like EVERY DAY. Yup. Anyway I'm kinda' stuck on what to write about next so if you have any suggestions on what you want to see, please feel free to DROP ME A REVIEW. It's a win-win situation. You get the scenario you want, i won't have to kill brain cells trying to think of what to write. Thank you :)**

**Anyway, enjoy! XD**

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Chapter 14

Kagome placed the arrow in the bow and pulled back, fixing her eye on the mark. It had been so long since she had last done this. Her hand kept shaking and she could feel that her aim was unsteady. She released and let the arrow fly. It hit the board, but just barely. It was so off mark!

As she reached for another arrow, that loneliness gnawed away at her heart. She missed the feeling of her companions' presence close by during battle; Mirouku sucking in demons with his Wind Tunnel, Sango destroying more with her Hiraikotsu, Kirara fending off some and Shippo attempting to attack to smaller demons. Most of all, she missed Inuyasha's reassuring presence. With him there she always felt safe, no matter what terrifying demon they were up against. She felt like they could always win. And they did.

Once more, she set her arrow in the bow and pulled. She felt her heart settle down, she felt her mind focus. Doing this soothed her. This was one of the few things she brought back from the Feudal Era – her skill in archery. Or what was left of it. She felt a bit of her purifying power leak into the bow as she let go. It hit the mark, right in the centre.

"Ah! I did it!" Kagome smiled, savouring the feeling of self-satisfaction before she tried again.

A few weeks ago, she had decided to join her school's archery club. It would have been a waste if she let her ability and skills rot under all that schoolwork. After all she went through, she felt that she had to preserve _some_ of her life from the Feudal Era.

Besides, archery gave her a breather from all the homework and studying. But more than that, it reminded her of who she really was. What her purpose of going back to the Feudal Era had been.

Bows and arrows weren't a painful memory. They were her weapons; her power. She used them to fight demons back then. Similarly, they were going to help her overcome her obstacles in this world. They were her coping mechanism.

Anyway, she liked archery. It was one of the things she was good at, besides studying. She felt happy. Why hadn't she done this earlier? Who knew.

So here she was. Practicing archery after school almost every afternoon when she had the time. Official practice times were on Mondays and Thursdays, so the archery area was mostly empty on other days. Kagome liked the space. It was a nicer place to think than at home in her room.

It had seemed perfect at first, until she realized a certain person was also in the archery club. Of course, it just had to be Shirai. That annoying girl who couldn't seem to leave her alone. Apparently Shirai had already joined the archery club ages ago so there was nothing Kagome could say about it. She had heard from her friends that Shirai was an excellent archer. It was true. Shirai's skills were clearly displayed during practice. Kagome had to give her respect for that. However, Shirai was still a bit… lacking. Kagome couldn't quite put her finger on what she was missing. After a while though, she had dismissed that thought. After all, Shirai had all the skills Kagome had. What could possibly be wrong?

As Kagome's fifth arrow hit the bull's-eye, she heard someone come up beside her and set her arrows down. Speak of the devil, it was Shirai. Kagome smiled and said hi to Shirai, but no response came. Shirai didn't even look at Kagome. _There's no helping it, I guess, _Kagome thought and continued her practice. Some ten minutes of silence followed Shirai's arrival, punctured only by the sounds of arrows being loosed and marks being hit.

"I _will_ beat you, Higurashi." Shirai said abruptly, as her arrow pierced through the target. Kagome was jolted out of her thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you want to crush me in the inter-school contests. That's why you're practicing so hard. But you know what? I won't let you. I'm not going to let a mere beginner like you beat me in that competition. I won't let you beat me in _any_ competition, Higurashi. Take note of that." Shirai glared at Kagome. Then, she walked off, leaving a very confused Kagome standing there.

_What… was she talking about? Beat her in the inter-school contests? I wasn't even thinking of participating. And me a beginner? If only she knew…_Kagome sighed. Suddenly she didn't feel like practicing anymore. As she was gathering up her stuff, she wondered what she ever did to make Shirai detest her so much.

_Dear Inuyasha_

_How are you? I just realized how peaceful life here is. For me, shooting arrows used to be for fighting demons and helping people. But now, I shoot arrows as a sport. Does that mean my weapons have become a bit… meaningless?_

_I'm glad I never have to fight a demon like Naraku, or deal with another curse like the Shikon Jewel's. I'm glad I never have to kill another demon with my arrow or purify another tainted shard. I'm glad I will never have to see another village massacred. _

_This place is safe… but… it's dull. If I hadn't fallen into the well that day, I wouldn't have known what I was missing. I would have spent my whole life studying, studying, graduating and working. At first, that prospect seemed promising. But now, it just seems so tedious. Life back in the Feudal Era, with all of you was so much fun. I don't think I will ever find friends that share the kind of bonds that we had. Those types of friendships just aren't common in my era._

_Archery is fun and I like it. But I feel like I'm just aiming and firing. Who am I kidding, I really am just aiming and firing. It's not like I can purify the target or something. Ah, why do I have to make everything so complicated? I should focus. Focus! End of Year Exams are around the corner so I have to really start concentrating on my studies and stop getting distracted. Wish me luck! _

_I love you, Inuyasha._

_Kagome_

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**Once again, please please please REVIEW! I feel like I'm writing to a wall (sometimes) :'(**

**Thanks for reading anyway! ^^**


	16. First Job

**hey guys! IDK what to say so just read the story. and review. WHY ISN'T ANYBODY REVIEWING? T.T**

**Anyway, just read it ok? :)**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 15

Mirouku took a deep breath before plastering two of his sacred sutras in quick succession on the wall of the main hall. A dark shadow immediately shot out from the wall, screaming an ear splitting cry. It tumbled to the floor and slowly took shape to reveal a gray and red snake demon. It snarled and bared its fangs at the monk then took off at lightning speed.

However, Inuyasha was already on standby with Tetsaiga resting on his shoulder. The snake tried to shoot past him but with one slash, Inuyasha had taken its head clean off its body. Another shriek and the snake disintegrated into dust.

"Mirouku, how many of these weaklings are there?" Inuyasha complained.

"That should be the last of them. The evil auras around the house seemed to have all disappeared," Mirouku said, smiling at the chief of the house.

"Ah, thank you so much monk, you saved our entire household," the chief said.

"It's not a problem. Let's talk about payment now shall we?" Mirouku grinned.

"Not so fast, Mirouku, there's one more." Inuyasha said as he sniffed the air, hand back on Tetsaiga's hilt. "It's a big one."

Mirouku stopped mid-step and looked around. The clouds had gathered over the sky but the wind had stopped completely. He wiped the smile off his face and readied his staff as he ran over to where Inuyasha was. For a few seconds everything and everyone was still – the calm before the storm.

Suddenly a humungous white snake demon with ruby red eyes erupted from the ground, sending mounds of rock and dirt hurtling through the air. All the servants and even the chief of the house started screaming and running for their lives.

"This must be the mother of those smaller snake demons," Mirouku commented, preparing for battle.

"Keh, all this weakling has to it is its size. Tetsaiga can take it down no problem!" Inuyasha said.

With that, he took off into a run straight at the demon and leaped into the air, swinging Tetsaiga over his head. As he sliced downwards at the snake demon, he was met with a strong repulsive force that sent electric shocks across his body. He was thrown backwards but managed to perform a backflip and land on the ground on his feet. He used the momentum to rebound and leap towards the demon yet again, this time with the Red Tetsaiga.

Tetsaiga shattered the snake's barrier on impact and the swing carried on to slice off a part of the demon's body. The snake snarled and dived at Inuyasha. Quick as a flash, he evaded the attack. The snake's head crashed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. Before Inuyasha could charge again, the snake raised its head and opened its mouth at Inuyasha. Immediately dozens of smaller snakes shot out of its mouth, spraying venom at the half demon.

Without hesitation, Inuyasha shouted "Wind Scar!" and raging currents of demonic energy raced towards the army of snakes, obliterating them into dust. The wind scar continued its path and blew the mother snake into pieces.

One by one, chunks of the snake's body fell to the ground. Inuyasha, thinking it was over, rested Tetsaiga on his shoulder and was walking back to Mirouku when he felt fangs sink deep into his arm. With a swift swipe of angry claws the small snake was torn to shreds. But the venom had already entered his body, he could feel it.

White-hot pain shot up from his arm and engulfed him. His vision was obscured by insane black splotches dancing across his eyes and he felt paralyzed by the pain. He dropped to his knees and grabbed his wound, grunting in pain.

He was vaguely aware of Mirouku running up to him and throwing sacred sutras at something behind him. As Mirouku bent over him, he could hear his voice. But it was so distant, so clouded. Inuyasha shut his eyes and tried to suppress the pain by pure will. He felt his head stop spinning a little and he could move. But his body still felt like it was on fire, and he attempted to get up, but each movement just brought on more agony. He dropped to the ground again and rested, willing the pain to go away.

He wasn't aware of how many minutes had passed when Mirouku grabbed his arm and supported him to his feet. Step by step they made it to where Mirouku wanted to take him to. Inuyasha couldn't help but collapse onto the mat laid out in front of him. He lay there, panting yet feeling so breathless, cursing himself for being so weak to some mere poison.

Mirouku sat down beside Inuyasha and watched as he gripped the edges of the mat. He took the wet cloth from the lip of the bucket beside him and put it on Inuyasha's forehead. Thinking back, he recalled the scene where Inuyasha had just defeated the huge snake. Inuyasha had turned his back on the demon's remains, seemingly unaware that the snake's belly full of smaller snakes had fallen behind him. Was he so distracted or just complacent?

He had let his guard down almost immediately and as a result he now had to endure the pain of the venom until his demon blood could subdue it. Could it be that Kagome's absence might have been a factor of his carelessness? It was true that Inuyasha's fighting skills were always less sharp whenever Kagome wasn't around. Furthermore, there was no one around for Inuyasha to protect, and the will to protect something or someone always increased his power significantly and made him more alert.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha mumbled as his breathing slowed and his body relaxed. In a few moments he was fast asleep, apparently exhausted from the battle with the venom inside his body. Mirouku slowly got up, walked out of the room and closed the door. The snake venom was lethal and would kill humans but for a half-demon like Inuyasha, it would just mean about a day's worth of pain and fever until the poison subsided. It was nothing to be too worried about.

So, while Inuyasha was busy resting, Mirouku could take this opportunity to slowly negotiate payment with the chief of the house, wherever he ran off to. He smiled to himself, this time he could probably squeeze out much more money than usual, since the demon had been so huge and "hard to kill". Now, if he could only find where everybody was…

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**hey so i hope this chapter wasn't too bad. well, if my lack of story writing skills is annoying you, please tell me by REVIEWING this chapter. i should really change it to an acronym - IAADFR (..) **

**:)**


	17. Message Across Time

**Hello! again! Managed to get this chapter up yea ;) its like 200 words longer than usual~**

**Idea for this chapter goes to horseygurl89! Thank you again! XD**

**Well, i'll shut up and let you read it. PLEASE REVIEW.**

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Chapter 16

The fresh and light breeze rustled the leaves above her. Kagome closed her eyes and let the tree's purifying aura surround her and clear her mind. With a smile on her face, she imagined that Inuyasha was just there, sitting on the other side of the sacred tree. The tree always stood by them, helped to bring them together. Even now, she felt that she could remember his face better as she sat in the tree's huge shadow. It was almost like he was there.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, a sharp pain suddenly shot up from her left arm and raced through the rest of her body. Kagome's eyes flew open and she jolted up like she had just been shot. She grabbed her arm and cried out from the shock of the pain. It felt like her blood was liquid fire that was scorching her from the inside. Her body was both extremely hot and cold at the same time. She winced and tried to breath but her breaths were short and labored. Sweat dripped from her forehead and her fingers clawed at the ground, praying for the pain to stop.

_K… Kagome…. Kagome! _Through the roaring in her ears, she could hear her name being called out, echoing against the inside of her skull. She knew it was Inuyasha, but the pain overwhelmed her and prevented her from carrying on her train of thought.

Just when she thought she was about to pass out, the pain disappeared as fast as it had come, leaving her on her knees and panting heavily. Her eyes were wide with shock and it took a while for her to come back to herself.

But when she felt like she could move again, she felt so tired and weak that she couldn't stand up. That was fine though, she had no intention of getting up just yet. She turned her head and looked up at the mark etched into the bark of the tree trunk.

What she had felt just now, that voice… there was no doubt that it had been Inuyasha. Inuyasha had been in serious pain and somehow that pain had been conducted through the tree and she had felt it. He had called out to her. Was he seeing illusions of her? Was he worried about her?

This was the first time she was hearing his voice in over a year. He was calling out to her… which meant he still thought about her, cared for her. A warm fuzzy feeling grew in her heart and she felt vaguely happy.

But wait, if Inuyasha was in pain, how could she be thinking these kinds of thoughts? Her heart plunged to her feet and she felt so despicable. But then again, she would worry all she could but she wouldn't be able to do anything. She was stuck in this world while Inuyasha was suffering in the other.

Absentmindedly, she got up and placed her hand on the mark, where Inuyasha had been 500 years ago. She closed her eyes and tried to convey her feelings across to the other world, to where Inuyasha was. Her heart ached as she expanded her concern and worry for Inuyasha and tried to picture him in her mind. At the same time, she felt her heart stop racing and her mind calmed down again.

_Inuyasha… are you there? Are your injuries serious? I know you're in pain right now. I'm sorry I can't be there by your side right now. I don't know if you can hear me, but I really want to be with you right now. I want to be there to treat your injuries and sit with you until you heal. Inuyasha… I… miss being by your side. Take care of yourself, Inuyasha._

She took her hand off the trunk and stepped off the root she had been standing on. This really took her back to the time when they were fighting Menomaru and she was stuck in her time. Back then, she was able to talk to Inuyasha through the sacred tree. How she wished it could happen again.

This time she could feel Inuyasha's pain and hear his voice. But she couldn't see him anywhere. She responded but she could only hope and have faith that her message would reach him somehow. Or at least her feelings could reach over and cross the boundaries of time to reach him.

Like the letters. She would never know for sure if they really ended up at the other side of the well, or if Inuyasha could ever read them. But she did believe it. Hope was a powerful thing.

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Inuyasha stared up at the ceiling. He cursed himself yet again for being so careless and letting a tiny small fry attack him. The pain had abated but he wasn't ready to get up just yet. He was just lying there, resting. Anyway Mirouku was probably still swindling the chief of the house, since he wasn't around.

As he kept staring into space, he thought about the dream that had calmed and subsequently awoken him. It was Kagome. Kagome had been talking in his dream. One moment all he had seen and felt was flames and fire, then her voice had broken through the chaos like her purifying arrow. It had soothed him and the pain had disappeared almost instantly. The fire was replaced with the image of her under the sacred tree, her voice the only thing he could hear. He couldn't hear her exact words, but he knew she was worried about him. He knew she was frustrated with herself for not being able to help him or be by his side. He knew that she missed him. He knew that she was crying.

Inuyasha knew that it was not an illusion. He had definitely felt her presence. Her sweet scent had been overflowing in his dream. Kagome was just something that could not ever be replicated perfectly, even if it was from his memory.

She missed him. After all this time, he finally knew that she still loved him as much as he loved her. But how had she appeared in his dream? The answer wasn't important to him at the moment. It had been _Kagome._ After more than a year of separation he had finally seen Kagome, even if it was in his dream, even if she hadn't been able to see him. She was safe and healthy. That was the important thing.

_Kagome, I wish you were here…_

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_Dear Inuyasha,_

_Are you still in pain? I know you were attacked but why are you so stupid? How could you let yourself get hurt like that? I leave for a while and you get yourself in serious trouble. Idiot!_

_I hate myself for being so useless, so powerless. Without the well, I'm back to being a normal boring student. I can't do anything for you at all. Feeling powerless is so horrible. Now I know why you always tried to get stronger and stronger. It was to protect the ones that were precious to you. I want to do the same. I want to protect you when I can. I want to comfort you during difficult times. But I can't. What can I possibly do? I've already tried to go back hundreds of times but it's useless. I think being stuck here and sitting around worrying about you is torture. _

_But you know what? You might have felt powerless and weak back then when we were fighting Naraku; when you couldn't protect Kikyo. But I think you were very strong. It was the best you could have done. You have a strong heart, Inuyasha. You wanted to protect all of us. You never gave up even when almost all hope was gone. You kept going on, determined to fight till the very end. _

_I love you Inuyasha, your weaknesses, impatience, strength and all. _

_Kagome_

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**Well that's it for now. If there's anything you would like me to write about for my upcoming chapters(other than the archery competition with Shirai) please say so in a REVIEW. Thank you.**

**And by the way, i would like to recommend a song that i listened to over and over while i was writing this. It's called Endless Wedge by Kagamine Len. Go check it out yea :) It's really awesome... REVIEW!**

**Cya!~**


	18. Conviction

**Heylo! just a quick warning before you actually read this: This is a FILLER chapter. Thats why its so short. I apologise for only posting such a short chapter after so long. To tell you the truth i have no idea how to develop the next complication so this is just a snack for you guys. Better something short than nothing at all right?**

**Anyway, please enjoy and remember to REVIEW, even if its just to flame me. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. ^^**

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Chapter 17

"Ehh! You want to challenge Shirai!" Eri exclaimed.

"Well, it isn't really a challenge. After all, it's an inter-_school_ competition. We'll be competing against other schools," Kagome explained.

"But still, aren't you taking up Shirai's challenge anyway?" Yuka pointed out.

Kagome sipped on her drink. They were at WacDonald's again, like old times. And, as usual, they were prodding her for answers over her latest decision to participate in the inter-school competition. Shirai and her cronies had spread a new bout of rumors, obviously hoping to antagonize Kagome into doing what Shirai wanted.

"I just don't want to let Shirai walk all over me alright? What's so wrong about that?" Kagome said, a little more forcefully than intended.

Her friend stared at her wide-eyed for a moment before bursting out in smiles. "Go for it! You can do it Kagome!" They cried out in unison. Kagome feigned a smile in return before going back to sipping her drink and staring at the boring orange table.

Had she made the right choice? It was true that she had indirectly accepted Shirai's challenge. She would not be only challenging the archers from other schools, but also Shirai herself. Kagome fidgeted in frustration. Why was she so worked up about all of this? Surely Naraku had to be more terrifying than a 16 year old schoolgirl. But she had faced him fearlessly with Inuyasha.

Realizing where her train of thought was going, she quickly stopped herself and directed her mind to the correct track. Maybe humans really were more evil than demons. Humans had wills stronger than any other living creature. And, like they said, if there's a will there's a way. So it shouldn't be a surprise if humans are capable of horribly despicable acts.

_Why are my thoughts so weird? I'm making Shirai sound like some kind of dark mistress of evil…_

Kagome sighed and looked up from the table. Her friends were talking about Yuka's new boyfriend. She tried to join the conversation and after a while, found that she actually did have some interest in what they were chatting about. She actively participated, grateful that the subject of focus wasn't her for once.

The very first time she had mentioned that she couldn't see Inuyasha any more, their immediate reaction had been to assume that he had dumped her and then moved off far away. Kagome had been quick to correct them, saying that it was due to certain _circumstances_ that they weren't able to meet again. She had just left it at that, and she was sure it had sparked another round of extreme scenarios in her friends' minds. Then again, she found that it didn't really bother her what they thought. She was relieved that they no longer mentioned Inuyasha to her.

She laughed along with her friends while teasing Yuka. Times like these were so fun. She didn't really get to relax back them whenever she came back. It had always been frantic studying and the ominous reminder of the upcoming test hovering over her head. High school was supposed to be harder and more stressful, but Kagome felt that it was a breeze. She had even managed to score consecutive A's and the occasional B for her tests. Now that she could focus all of her time on studying, she found that she was actually quite smart. Almost a genius, if she said so herself.

In the company of her friends, Kagome felt the tension of the archery competition slide away. She was confident she could beat Shirai. But even if she couldn't she wasn't going to run and hide in a corner. She would confront Shirai up front and make her understand once and for all that she wasn't going to take any more of her nonsense. It was the right thing to do.

Kagome smiled.

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**Okay yeah i know its short and its just a lot Kagome-thinking-about-random-stuff crap but i really am hopeless at this period of time. I'm juggling between this fic and NaNoWriMo for those who know what that is, along with planning for another 2 more fics. So just bear with me yeah? ;) **

**Anyway, please remember to REVIEW!**


	19. Tainted Victory

**Heyhey! Imma back with another chapter. Hmmm not much to say this week... Nobody ever reads the A.N.s anyway right?**

**Anyway, please remember to REVIEW and since i havent said this in a long time: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA. **

**ok there :)**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 18

Kagome drummed her fingers on her lap nervously. Any moment now, she would be called up to the field to take her shot at the target. She glanced at the scoreboard nervously. The other school was leading by 20 points. Shirai had been spectacular when it had been her turn. She had even hit the X ring once and scored 27 points.

This would be tough. She had to hit at least two 10 rings to win this round of competition. But she wasn't only trying to beat the other school. Actually, her priority was on beating Shirai. And it occurred to her as long as she strived to beat Shirai, beating the other schools came as an added bonus, since Shirai was so good at archery.

They were already at the semi-finals but Kagome had yet to get a higher score than Shirai. She was always to close, just missing by one or two more points. Even worse, Shirai seemed to grow increasingly smug with arrogance with each round won, much to Kagome's annoyance.

Kagome had felt like pulling her hair out every time she thought about it. She had been so confident before but now it seemed ever more unlikely that she would win Shirai. Her confidence was being crushed slowly.

_Pull yourself together Kagome! You can do this! You could hit the Shikon Jewel without even seeing, just by sense! Why can't you hit that super big ring right in front of you?_

Kagome put on a determined expression and clenched her fist. She would do it. Hitting the target would be a piece of cake. The shikon jewel had been minuscule for crying out loud. And the countless demons she had purified had been _moving_ targets. This was nothing compared to that.

Right on cue, the announcer called for the next archer from her school. Kagome got up and walked over to the shooting line. Her garments were thick and she was still a bit unused to them but it didn't hinder her movement.

As she held her bow and arrow in her hands, she breathed in and out deeply. Focusing on only the target, she blocked out the chatter of the audience, the announcer's booming voice and Shirai's burning stare. Her heart slowed down as she drew the arrow up and eyed the X ring.

Kagome really felt that all those months spent in the feudal era shooting demons and jewels had really paid off. With a smooth and practiced motion of her arms, she pulled back the arrow to its maximum. Her control over her arrow was firm and her hands were steady. The arrow's head was pointed straight at the innermost ring of the target. Now was the time.

She released and the arrow flew. With a thwack the arrow pierced straight through the target, anchoring itself firmly there. Kagome felt a burst of happiness blossom from her chest. It had hit the 10-ring! Now to see if she could hit the X-ring…

Kagome performed the same process she had earlier: deep breath in, raise bow, pull arrow. This time however, so took a slightly longer time positioning her arrow on the target to make sure it would hit the innermost ring. She closed one eye and saw only the tiny circle in the centre of the target.

She let go. The arrow itself seemed to rip through the air as it whizzed away from her hand. Kagome closed her eyes, and when she opened them she nearly cried out for joy. It had hit! It hit the X-ring! Now she was practically even with Shirai! Kagome beamed brightly.

After a few seconds of self-celebration, however, Kagome quickly composed herself and eased the golden feeling of achievement out of her mind temporarily. She still had one more arrow left, after all. If she got another 10 points, her victory over Shirai would almost be complete. And her school team's place in the finals was already secured from her first two arrows.

As she raised her final arrow, she was confident that it would hit at least the 10-ring again. She pulled back and breathed out. But in the split second she released the arrow, she felt it.

As if in slow motion, Kagome stared as her arrow, bound for the centre ring, abruptly changed course and tilted to the left slightly, hitting the red 8-ring. The arrow sunk into the target, its tail still vibrating slightly.

As her friends behind her cheered over her victory, Kagome was caught up in her thoughts.

_What was that just now? I'm sure I felt a demon's presence just as I let go of the arrow. It was… on the arrow! But how? Why did the course of my arrow change? How…_

As she absentmindedly walked back to her teammates, Shirai came up to her and held out her hand. Kagome looked up and stared at Shirai's bitter smirk. Reluctantly, she took Shirai's hand and shook it. But as soon as Kagome's hand touched Shirai's, her eyes instantly grew wide with shock and she gasped softly.

"Congratulations, Higurashi. You managed to get us into the finals. And your little victory over me back there? Don't think too much of it. It's only by one point. That was a fluke. Trust me, these kinds of things only happen once. Well, good luck in the finals." Shirai said, giving Kagome a tap on the shoulder then sauntering off.

Kagome was still staring blankly after Shirai when she was surrounded by her archery club, cheering for her and patting her back. Kagome decided to put Shirai out of her thoughts for now. She would ponder and turn it over in her head later. Turning to face her friends she smiled and laughed and accepted their praises for her. She had done well.

Would Inuyasha be proud of her? Hmmm, he would probably scoff and give some comment about what a stupid competition it had been. But Kagome pictured him smiling at her, with his fang sticking out at the side of his mouth, saying that she had improved a lot, that she was much stronger now.

_He can be nice sometimes too…_

* * *

_Dear Inuyasha_

_Today was the semi-finals of the archery competition I've been talking about recently. It was great. We managed to beat the other school by a far shot._

_But… there's something bothering me. During the competition, when I was shooting my arrow, I felt a demon's aura coming from it. Everything was fine before that instant where I released my arrow. It was like the demon appeared out of thin air. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there. _

_And the weirdest thing was, when I shook Shirai's hand after the competition was over, I felt it again. It was only for a split second, but I felt the demon's prescence coming from Shirai! It was like she was suddenly surrounded by a dark light. Then after that it vanished. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who saw it. I've never felt such an aura coming from her before. Especially something like that here in my world. But it's not only that. It was like the demon was _deliberately_ showing itself to me. Like it wanted me to know it was there. I won't say it was threatening me; it was more like a warning. _

_I don't know what to do, Inuyasha. It's been so long since I've last dealt with a demon. I don't think the demon is very powerful, since it seems as though it's using Shirai as a host. But the fact that the demon may be controlling Shirai is the part that might make destroying it difficult. She's always around other people and she hates me. How am I supposed to help her? _

_We only fought with demons a few times in my world. And each time I was so worried about people finding out about your secret. But now I really wish you were here. You would know better what I should do. I guess dealing with this won't be too hard. It's just that… if you were here… it would be so much easier. I would feel more confident about facing it. _

_That has always been the case, isn't it? You were always protecting me. Thank you. It must have been so troublesome for you, to keep worrying about my safety during battle. But it's ok now. I can handle it on my own this time! I promise! _

_I love you, Inuyasha._

_Kagome_

* * *

**Ok. I tried looking for rules and archery terminology but there wasn't that much information i could use. I think its obvious i don't do archery from my vague descriptions of the archery competition process, but it was still fine i guess. Right? :/**

**Anyway, hoped you like that little twist back there. The next chapter will be the finals of her competition! Yay! Exciting! (haha OTL)**

**Before i go, pleasepleaseplease REVIEW. I know alot of you guys dont know what to say in a review but a simple: oh this was ok; this chapter sucked; i liked this chapter, will suffice. So i just know that I'm going on the right track. :) Thanks~**

**Cya! **_  
_


	20. Shadowed Presence

**Hey guys! sorry for the long wait! But at least this chapter is considerably longer than average. So we're even kay?**

**Be nice and review!**

**I don't Inuyasha, if not the last episode of TFA would be much, much better! **

**Enjoy! and REVIEW! XD**

* * *

Chapter 19

Kagome slid open the old shrine door. The dust was so thick she could see a small cloud of it drifting out through the opening and disappearing into the fresh morning air. Resisting the urge to sneeze, she gingerly stepped inside. The old wood creaked loudly under her feet with each step she took. It was dark, damp and musty. The smell of rotting paper and old stuff lingered in the thick air. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Kagome peered around, trying to look for the items her grandfather had told her about.

Earlier at breakfast she had asked her grandfather if there were any old arrows or a bow at the shrine passed down for many generations, as her grandfather liked to put it. Her grandfather had hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes and rubbing his chin, as if in deep recollection of such an item. Kagome had tapped her fingers against the table nervously, awaiting his reply.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and grinned smugly, finger pointed straight up in the air.

"Ah-hem, we do in fact have some arrows here in the shrine. It was indeed passed down for many generations from our ancestors. I think they are in the old shed in the eastern part of the shrine. They have a long rich history-"

Without even waiting for her grandfather to finish speaking, she had uttered a quick "Thank You!" then rushed out of the kitchen, leaving her entire family staring after her in mild shock.

She had dashed all the way to the old shed, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. It had paint peeling off and birds had built nests on its roof. It was really quite small and it was easy to see why it had been mostly forgotten. Kagome had been doubtful that the things she needed could be found here. But hey, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Now she found herself crouched knee-deep in century old junk, moving things carefully aside in order to find the arrows that she needed to carry out her mission. Sweat was starting to form on her forehead and her shirt started to stick to her back. It was so dusty in here! She coughed and choked. Everything was so cluttered and messy, how was she ever going to find anything in here?

She was about to give up and escape her filthy prison when she heard the sound of wooden sticks clattering against one another. Quickly she shoved the large box in front of her away and sure enough, sitting there in the corner was an extremely old- almost ancient- quiver of arrows and an equally old bow.

Kagome's face instantly lit up and all weariness was forgotten as she gingerly reached for the bow and the quiver of arrows. They were dusty and probably older than her grandfather himself but Kagome could tell at a glance that they had once belonged to a miko, just like her.

She got up and stepped out of the cramped shed, grateful to be breathing clean dust-free air again. Her legs felt slightly sore but it was worth it. She had found arrows. Inspecting the quiver in her hand, she noticed that although they were extremely old, they still looked quite sturdy and were in a generally good condition. Five arrows. It was limited, but definitely better than nothing.

Kagome smiled. She was ready.

The finals of the archery competition would take place later in the day. Waves of anxiety traveled all over her body with that thought. This was the first time she had made it all the way to the finals of any major competition. But not only that, she had to face Shirai.

After that first encounter with the demon, Kagome had spent the past few days pondering about it. She had never felt such an aura coming from Shirai before. Sure, Shirai was mean and evil in her own way, but definitely not evil enough to emit such a strong aura, and so suddenly too. She had eventually concluded that somehow, a demon that had managed to survive in her time had infiltrated Shirai's body and was using her as a host. Whether Shirai was doing it voluntarily or was even aware of the demon's presence was still a mystery to Kagome. But one thing was for sure, she had to save Shirai.

Kagome slid the shed door shit and strolled back to the house. It was a nice cool morning. A light breeze tickled her face and the birds were chirping. As she passed under the shadows of the sacred tree, her footsteps slowed. She stopped and gazed from the tree's trunk to its branches stretched to the sky.

_Please, lend me your strength._

* * *

The locker room was abuzz with activity. As Kagome absentmindedly arranged her attire, she craned her neck around for any sign of Shirai. It was almost time for them to enter the field but Shirai was still missing.

"Have you seen Shirai?" Kagome asked Sakura, one of her team mates.

"Nope, I've been looking around for her too. Do you know where she might have gone?"

Kagome shook her head and Sakura turned back to prepare her equipment. Swiveling her head around to see if anybody was looking, Kagome quickly unzipped her long bag and extracted the bow and arrows that she had taken from the shrine. Using her body to shield her items, she stashed them in the back of her locker and slammed the door shut. If Shirai did show up today, the bow and arrows would be right here where she would need them.

Gripping the other bow she was using for the competition, she headed out of the locker room with her team mates. As they approached the stand-by area for the archers, Kagome felt her stomach lurch and do a little flip. She could feel it. It- Shirai's demon- was here. The ominous presence was hanging over the whole area like a heavy, invisible fog.

Her friends and all the other participants were all behaving normally; smiling and talking or pacing around, seemingly unaware of the horrible aura she was sensing. She was the only one who knew it was there.

And worst still, the aura seemed to have gotten stronger too. It was unmistakably the same aura that radiated from Shirai the last time, but now it was darker, colder, more suffocating. Even though Shirai was nowhere in sight, Kagome still could feel the demon's presence strongly.

Her school team was to go first but Kagome was selected to be the last archer of her team. As she waited for her turn she twiddled her thumbs nervously, unable to concentrate on whatever was going on in the field. The aura was swarming and swirling around her and she feared if she let down her (invisible) spiritual barrier, she would be overcome by the aura. The urge to run away from the demonic presence prodded her mind constantly but she held firm. Everything – the announcer's voice through the speakers, the audience's chatter, the steady and distant thwack of arrows hitting target boards- was a blur. Each second that passed was full of anxious anticipation. Kagome was sure something was going to happen the moment she stepped on that field.

Finally, when the time for her to take up her bow came, Kagome almost breathed a sigh of relief. Almost. The agonizing wait was over, but the worst was yet to come. She noted that her school was doing well and had a slight lead over the other team. If she were a normal student participating in a normal archery competition, her first priority would be to focus and score as high as possible. But right now, that "priority" was a distraction. Kagome had to find Shirai and save her. Once more she scanned the area to see if Shirai was around. No sign of her.

_Focus on this first! I can go find Shirai later._

With a new burst of determination, Kagome drew her first arrow from her quiver and strung it in the bow. The arrow wasn't made for spiritual purposes but under the circumstances it would have to do. Channeling her spiritual powers to the bow and arrow, she aimed for the spot where the aura was thickest, which also happened to be in the path between her and the target board. Kagome relaxed her shoulders and steadied her body. She let the arrow fly.

In a blink of an eye the arrow hit the 8-ring. But more importantly, her arrow had pierced through the aura, instantly purifying everything. Suddenly Kagome felt like the entire place had got brighter, and that the pressure that had been resting on her shoulders had disappeared. Her breathing came easier and she let out the breath that she had been unconsciously holding.

Smiling, she drew her second arrow and found that focusing and aiming was a breeze compared to a minute ago. However, the split second before she released her arrow she felt it. The sudden, brief rush of wind.

Over there!

A shadowy, shapeless figure had just bounded past her ear and was headed straight for the spectators' stand. The thing took a great leap and opened its mouth to bare it fangs, aiming straight for a woman's head.

Without hesitation, Kagome swerved and fired. Her arrow pierced the creature straight through and it hovered in the air motionlessly, right over the crowd. With a shriek it disintegrated into dust, taking the arrow along with it.

Kagome heaved a sigh of relief and felt a sense of self-satisfaction that she managed to save someone just in time_._ But soon she noticed that everyone- the spectators, the judges, the competitors, her friends- were either staring at her in shock or muttering loudly. Soon the entire field was buzzing with cries and outbursts. Kagome's expression of happy relief quickly melted into one of dismay as she realized what she had done. To everyone except her, it had looked like she had suddenly changed from shooting the target board, to aiming for the crowd behind her.

"No it's not like that… I wasn't… I was trying to save…" Kagome muttered desperately to the air. Her eyes darted from one face to another, trying to find refuge from the angry and shell-shocked expressions. Kagome felt so exposed; everyone was staring at her. She was so tense that when the competition official grabbed her arm, she almost screamed.

"Come with me. You are hereby disqualified from the competition." The official said, pulling her off the field. Kagome tried to say something but all the words got stuck in her throat and she could only gape at the official like a goldfish. With legs like jelly, she followed the official back to her team's waiting area where her archery equipment was confiscated.

Her team clustered around her, demanding –practically shouting- to know what was going on. All of them spoke at once, and at such a volume that all of their words got melded together. The only thing Kagome could make sense of was the word: disqualified. Kagome closed her eyes and tried to block out everything. She didn't want to look at or talk to anybody.

But when she felt that tendril of ill will sneak around her arm her eyes flew open in an instant. Kagome looked wildly around the room. _Where!_

Her eyes fell onto the figure half-hidden by the doorway. Her usually silky smooth hair was tangled and messy and the colour was drained from her face but Kagome knew at once that it was Shirai.

"I'm sorry! I'll explain everything later!" She cried out to her team mates as she pushed past them and tore after Shirai who had disappeared down the corridor. Kagome followed Shirai as best as she could, never letting her out of sight. The school they were in wasn't theirs and the surroundings were completely unfamiliar. As soon as Shirai turned a few corners Kagome lost her. Suddenly remembering something, she quickly turned round and headed back to the locker room.

She burst through the door into the empty locker room. Flinging open the locker that held her belongings, she grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows and slung them around her shoulder. Kagome slammed the locker shut and dashed out of the locker room. Retracing her steps, she returned to the place where she had lost Shirai.

Kagome knew without a doubt that Shirai was trying to lead her to some trap. Ok, maybe not Shirai, but the Shirai-demon was trying to trap her. Even so, she feared that if she waited any more the demon might get even stronger, and who knew what could happen to Shirai then.

* * *

**Ooh cliffhanger! :) ok i didnt plan to cut off here originally but i noticed this chapter was quite long already and i wanted to upload it tonight but i was too lazy to write any more. So deal with it. :) I'm tired now so i shall stop here.**

**REVIEW PLEASE! thanks :3**

**Cya!~**


	21. Counter Attack

**Hey guys! :3 I realize people are impatient to read the chapter so they don't really read the author's note at the top (me included). Sorry for taking such a long time to upload this. But i was away on holiday :) Italy was awesome! shoutout to all italian readers! (if i have any... don't think so OTL)**

**Please remember to review!**

**I don't own Inuyasha**

**Enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 20

The sound of Kagome's footsteps echoed eerily off the walls. She had caught traces of the aura earlier and had been following it but now she felt as if she was going in circles. After wandering aimlessly around the campus grounds, trying to trace the source of the aura that was practically all over the school, she was so frustrated she almost wanted to give up.

Absentmindedly she pushed open the double doors in front of her and stepped into the auditorium. When she looked up she gasped and all weariness was vaporized. She had literally walked right into Shirai's trap. If it even was a trap. It was more like a nest. A thick, black gooey substance completely covered the floor, the walls and hung from the ceiling like vines in an overgrown forest. It flowed and clumped like it was alive. And worst still, it seemed to pulsate and beat every few seconds, like a heart.

It suddenly felt so cold and she felt as if invisible hands were wrapping themselves around her body and dragging her into the hall. With each step she took her feet sunk deeper and deeper into the goo. The goo clung to her and pulled her downwards, until she was so deep in that she could not move any further. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked wildly around, trying to find Shirai among the waves of black. Spotting a thin pillar of the black substance that extended from the floor to the ceiling, she grabbed onto it and pulled, trying to get herself out. Right now the goo was up to her waist; it was as if she was sinking into the floor itself. She pulled and yanked with all her strength until she thought her head was going to burst. She relaxed for a moment and let out the breath of air she had been holding. She wanted to let go of the line but found that she couldn't. The black goo had started to creep out from the pillar itself and was stretching over her hands.

"No! Let go!" Kagome cried out. The thought of calling for help crossed her mind in a flash but then she realized. Who knew she was here? She was alone. She wasn't even sure if Shirai was here or not. She had fallen for the demon's trap so easily.

"_That's right… You're so weak and vulnerable… no one will come save you. Always protected? Are you longing for someone? Well, he's not here anymore, is he?"_

Kagome stopped struggling. The voice was echoing from inside her head, louder and louder until the voice seemed to escape the confined space of her skull and to the rest of the hall, bouncing back to reach her ears again.

"_So much sadness… locked away and buried under so many masks. Let's find the key shall we?"_

Something icy cold started to snake up her arm. It was a shadow, barely visible, weaving around her arm and making its way to her chest. Then, quick as a flash it disappeared into her body. Instantly Kagome felt as if she had been stabbed her with a bolt of lightning. She cried out and cringed as her blood seemed to turn to liquid fire. But as the physical pain ebbed away after a moment, what followed was much worse.

All the heartache and silent tears she had suppressed was suddenly flowing out of her heart like a river. She was suddenly reliving all those months spent lonely and confused. All that sadness and pain of losing Inuyasha was suddenly concentrated into that very moment. It filled her entire being with an incredible emptiness. When she opened her eyes she saw Inuyasha, her friends, her life that she had lost. The memories spun and surrounded her and she was lost in a maze of her own emotions. All that she knew was chaos, and pain.

* * *

She couldn't move. Not that she wanted to anyway. She was so tired. Her entire body was cocooned in something soft. She was quite comfortable and all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. But something was hissing, echoing in her ear. It just kept getting louder and more annoying. She couldn't ignore it anymore.

As she opened her eyes, at first she thought she was still asleep; everything was dark. But as reality started to come back to her, she realized what was going on.

"Ah, Shirai, I see you have awakened." The voice said.

"W-what the hell's going on? Why did you make me do that? What did you do to Kagome? Did you just eat her?" Shirai yelled.

"Foolish woman, why would I do that? I do not desire to consume her body. Only her broken heart and dark emotions. Anyway, this was your wish, no?" There was a pinch of satisfaction in the voice.

"This… this wasn't how I wanted it! I just wanted to be noticed. To have friends. But you turned me into some witch! Where are you anyway? Show yourself!"

"I am right here and everywhere. The black mud you are sitting in is my body."

"Oh my god… get away from me!" Shirai started to flail and thrash wildly, trying in vain to break free from the pile of black gunk she was sitting upon.

"Kukuku… can't you see? I am already bound to you. As you are to me. You can never escape."

"You… you tricked me!"

"In the contract I agreed to get rid of this woman that you despise so much, with you being my host."

"But I don't want to be a murderer! You didn't tell me you would kill her, or that I would be your prisoner!"

"Shut up woman, you are of no use to me anymore. The illusions I am casting for Kagome is releasing such beautiful despair. Her heart has already been through such pain and suffering at such a young age. Such treasure. Your jealousy and hate pales in comparison. They were merely a pleasant snack. Your body was useful but now you have grown annoying. Perish, and become part of my body."

Black mud started to envelope Shirai's body. She screamed and clawed frantically at the air as her body was pulled into the mud. First her legs, then her abdomen, and her torso. Just as she was about to be completely engulfed in black mud, she felt a ripple travel throughout the entire mud body. The black mud stopped moving and was still for a moment.

For a second Shirai thought the monster had changed its mind. But in the next instant she was completely covered and buried in its body. Squeezing, suffocating her. All she could see, all she could hear, all she could feel was darkness. Then, all she felt was nothing.

* * *

Kagome winced slightly before opening her eyes. Her chest felt like it had been knocked open with a hammer and run through with a chainsaw. She wiped away the solitary tear that slid down her cheek. Now was not the time for crying.

The demon had unlocked all of the painful memories of the past she had stashed away in her heart. It had shown her countless illusions of her friends, and more importantly Inuyasha. She had seen his face everywhere. She had seen Kikyo too.

As Kagome got to her feet, her eyes were hard. The feelings that had been flowing out of her heart only a moment earlier was suddenly replaced with anger.

"What makes you think you can just go probing into people's hearts whenever you like it? Enough is enough. Let Shirai go!" Kagome shouted to the entire mass of black flesh all around her.

She yanked her hand free and grabbed her arrow. The demon's power was weakening. She stabbed the black flesh surrounding her with her arrow and it released her with a shriek of pain. She landed unsteadily on her feet but quickly regained her balance. Her gaze swept around the room. She didn't know where to point her arrow. She drew her arrow but her aim kept changing each time a lump of flesh moved.

"Miko, if you are looking for my heart. Here it is." A mound of flesh in the center of the room drew back to reveal an unconscious Shirai hanging limply from two pillars of black flesh that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Kagome could tell that it wasn't an illusion. It was Shirai. "My heart is right here, in this woman's chest. Go ahead, shoot her. I will die. But you will strike her heart and kill her as well. If you do nothing, I will consume you both. Either way, she will perish. Do you really want her to live anyway?"

The demon chuckled silently to itself. _Foolish human, Shirai is not my heart. As soon as she strikes Shirai, her heart will become corrupt and for me to consume it would make me powerful. So powerful that I would be able to have my own body. Kagome will definitely save herself first._

Kagome was silent, her aim on Shirai's chest but not about to fire anytime soon. "Do you really think I still feel jealous over Kikyo? Do you really think I'm still afraid of the darkness? Do you really think I would shoot Shirai? I said it once and I'm saying it again. Let Shirai go!"

Kagome released her arrow, straight at Shirai's chest. The demon's invisible faced filled with glee the split second it was released. Just as it was about to pierce Shirai's body, it disappeared in a flash of light. The demon could only feel confusion for a fraction of a second before the arrow reappeared behind Shirai's back, aimed straight for its face.

_What! NOOO!_

The instant the arrow made contact, the entire room was saturated with a purifying light. Every last lump of black flesh turned to ash and was swept away in the passing wind. Kagome shielded her eyes with her arm and tried to steady herself. When she was certain the explosion was over, she dashed over to Shirai and knelt down beside her.

Kagome shook the other girl's shoulders lightly. Shirai winced and then opened her eyes. She looked at the ceiling for a few moments before looking at Kagome. Shirai stared straight into Kagome's eyes. Kagome stared back. Shirai got up to her feet. Kagome did likewise.

"You must think I'm a monster too, as well as a bitch." Shirai muttered.

"Why would I think like that?" Kagome asked.

"Well, you know, with all _that_ that happened."

"You knew what was going on?"

"Well, duh. How did you know how to do that arrow thing anyway?"

"Ah, that… Let's say I have quite some experience with those demons."

"So that was a demon? Oh right, I forgot. You're a shrine girl. I guess I don't give you enough credit. That was some pretty intense stuff."

"I guess so…"

"Oh and by the way, that demon thing started bugging me way back. That mud-throwing gig was so totally not my idea. It was so lame. But I guess I owe you an apology. A huge one… I'm sorry."

Kagome had no idea how to respond to that so she just stared wide-eyed. "You're… apologizing?"

"Yeah, you don't need to act like volcanoes started spewing out flying pigs. I'm human too you know." Shirai commented sarcastically as she flicked her hair (now free from black mud) over her shoulder and walked towards the exit door.

Suddenly she stopped and turned around to face Kagome again. "And… thanks for saving me. I owe you one."

Kagome smiled and followed Shirai out the door.

* * *

**Yay! Shirai/demon arc done. I have some cleaning up and explanations in the next chapter(s). So what do you think? I really didn't expect things to go in this directions but i'm glad it did. Anyway, please REVIEW if you liked it and feel free to put more suggestions in your reviews. Yup. That's about it.**

**btw this is my last chapter for the year. 2012 here i come! **

**O'levels... OTL**

**Ciao!~**


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